


Magic Mirror

by MadMacha



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition, Final Fantasy XV
Genre: 10 Year Gap, Chocobros end up in Dragon Age, Dragon Age Lore, Dragon Age: Inquisition Spoilers, F/M, Final Fantasy XV - Freeform, Final Fantasy XV Spoilers, Fluff, Headcanon, I Don't Even Know, Injury, M/M, MTs, Meh, Minor Fenris/Hawke, Past Lavellan/Solas, Poor Prompto, Post-Dragon Age: Inquisition, all the demons, epic nerd, excuse to write, fan filth, i don't know how to tag, november novel, trash, weird crossover
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-03
Updated: 2017-11-30
Packaged: 2019-01-28 21:29:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 26
Words: 33,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12615936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadMacha/pseuds/MadMacha
Summary: My writing prompt for November's novel thingy ended up being me writing a crazy weird crossover of my two fave games. It's just for fun. Don't take it too seriously. I'll post whatever i write each day so the chapters may be weird. hopefully it doesn't suck. haha I'll try to keep it semi edited before I post it but it won't be perfect. Enjoy the weird nerdy ride!





	1. Day 1

            Ignis could hear the frustrated rustle of papers but waited a moment before he broke the long silence.

            “Anything good?” He kept his voice as chipper as he could manage so not to agitate the blonde further. Hands came down hard on the table with a loud slam that echoed a bit further than Ignis was comfortable with. Regardless, he remained silent, pushed his glasses back onto the bridge of his nose and waited. He waited as the heavy angry breaths gradually slowed, ending on a long, choking sigh. He didn’t need his sight to know angry tears were streaming down the boy’s face. Frustrated, angry tears were not unusual to either of them the past couple months since losing their friend and prince. Gladio had disappeared on a long string of hunts, venting his anger through demon slaying. Ignis could do little more than wait at Hammerhead, praying to what was left of the six he wouldn’t receive the dreaded news of Gladio’s death.

            This little jaunt to Gralea was supposed to be a temporary distraction. He could have brought several willing Hunters with him but this trip was for Prompto. No one took the Prince’s disappearance well, each coping in his own unhealthy way. Ignis busied himself with training around his new handicap to the point he’d completely isolated his brothers. Gladio was Six knows where and Prompto had fallen hard into a deep depression, rarely leaving his room in Hammerhead and only eating when Cindy managed to coax him into it. Ignis cursed himself for not noticing until Cindy found him and gave him an earful for neglecting his duties stating “just ‘cause ya lost the prince, don’t mean you're out of a job”. Ignis knew he had to do something at that point before he lost Prompto too. He’d been planning a trip back to Niflheim to search for more information on the crystal, which also became a convenient excuse to drag Prompto out of his eventual tomb.

            “Half of this stuff we already know and the rest is gibberish,” Prompto’s frustrated voice pulled Ignis from his thoughts. He tilted his head towards Prompto to indicate he was paying attention. “I don’t understand most of this.”

Ignis heard the blonde shift, assuming he had turned to face him. Ignis shifted his weight and crossed his arms. “Perhaps if you read some of it to me I could assist?” There was a pause while Prompto shook his head. Ignis couldn’t see the gesture but waited patiently for a reply.

            “Maybe if we go deeper in,” the blonde suggested.

            Ignis felt the light brush of Prompto’s arm as he walked passed him. “Yes, I suppose more valuable information would be kept in a more secure area of the complex.” Prompto looked around the dark, concrete room of shelved folders and books and shivered.  It reminded him too much of  _that_  place. Ignis sensed his tension and reached his arm out carefully, hoping he judged his distance correctly. He did and his hand came to rest lightly on Prompto’s shoulder. “Are you alright, Prompto?” Ignis knew the answer. Of course he wasn’t alright, none of them were  _alright_  but he had to ask.

Prompto shrugged off his hand and moved just out of reach. “Let’s go further in.”

Ignis sighed to himself and followed the sound of the boy’s footsteps, quietly missing the feel of Prompto’s guiding hand in the curve of his back. He managed to navigate the halls, fingers running lightly along the cold walls. He tripped once or twice but hid it well enough. Eventually Prompto’s footsteps moved out of earshot and Ignis was forced to stop.

“Prom?” he called out as loud as he dared so not to attract anything unsavory. He waited a moment, hand resting on the wall, until the footsteps returned and came to a halt in front of him. “Forgive me, Prompto. We are in unfamiliar territory and I’m having trouble gaining my bearings. Mind slowing a bit for me?” Ignis couldn’t see the wide, horrified eyes of Prompto realizing he’d left Ignis behind. He couldn’t see the tears that teased the edges of the blonde’s eyes as his arm came up quickly to wipe them away.

“Yeah… of course,” Prompto whispered sadly and Ignis gave him a quick half smile.

“Thank you. Let’s continue.” Prompto’s footsteps started to move again but stopped again. There was a pause before they neared and Ignis felt a hand lightly touch his back. He smiled more genuinely now. “This way,” Prompto replied and the two moved onward.


	2. Day 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's rough and a little messy but I wanted it to feel a little chaotic since it's mostly from Iggy POV

Ignis didn’t trip with Prompto guiding him as they made their way deeper into the compound. “It seems quieter than I would have expected it to be,” Ignis commented and he felt a shudder run through Prompto. “I’m sorry, Prompto… being here must dredge up poor memories for you.”  
Prompto didn’t reply immediately and Ignis wished more than anything he could see his face just for a moment. Navigating and fighting in the dark was easy with practice. But practice couldn’t fix the most difficult loss. For Ignis, it was losing the ability to see people. To read their expressions, understand their feelings and empathize with them. Now he just felt cold and cut off. Alone. He no longer knew what to say to ease a long silence. Instead he had to wait until the other finally spoke up to read their tone.  
“It’s not the same compound… but they all look the same,” Prompto finally replied flatly.  
“We never really… had the opportunity to talk about what happened to you. Where you were.”  
Prompto let out a nervous sigh. “It’s not really easy to talk about.”  
“I can’t imagine it would be. You must have been lonely.”  
Ignis heard a sound escape Prompto that he hadn’t heard in a long time. A laugh in the form of a quiet snort. “I wasn’t entirely alone… I had Aranea with me for a while. She saved my life.”  
Ignis’ head snapped up towards Prompto in surprise. “Aranea?”  
“Yeah, she showed up during a… difficult time; picked me up, dragged me out and kicked my ass into gear.”  
Ignis grinned. “Sounds like her. I am certainly…” Ignis was cut off when Prompto’s hand pushed against his chest, both silencing and stopping him. The hall had widened out into a long corridor lined with doors and littered with MT bodies.  
“Careful where you step,” Prompto whispered barely loud enough to hear. Ignis nodded once in understanding and let Prompto guide him carefully through the hall. They were half way through when Ignis took a step and an MT blazed to life. Its hand shot out, seizing his ankle causing Ignis to fall forward, hitting the ground hard. He stifled a yell and Prompto was there quickly, picking up one of the stray axes and bringing it down hard on the MT’s arm. The creature let out a bone chilling scream before Prompto could bring the ax down on its head.  
“Well that should draw some attention,” Ignis groaned as he pushed himself back to his feet. He focused, reaching for his daggers in the still existent arsenal. That always gave him a little hope. As long as he could pull his weapons from Noctis, his prince was still alive. Prompto pulled out his pistol with an angry growl. Several quick taps caught Ignis’s attention followed by dozens of angry snarls. “Demons, Prompto. Coming from both ends.”  
“Shit,” Prompto growled and started to fire. Ignis let his back brush against Prompto’s to keep track of the blonde before the first set of heavy footsteps reached him. His daggers lashed out, the first blocking the MT’s swing as the second was shoved into its head.  
“We need a way out, Prompto, before we’re overrun!”  
“There’s a lot of doors lining the hall but I don’t know if any will get us out of here!”  
“Start trying while I hold them off.”  
“But Iggy…”  
“Now, Prompto!” Ignis ordered, taking down another MT. Ignis attempted to listen to several things at once, keeping tabs on Prompto’s location while one MT after another charged at him. Then the demons came. Ignis was overwhelmed and the sounds around him began to blend into one. He lost track of Prompto and his focus began to fade.  
“Bloody hell, Prompto!” Ignis growled. Several things happened at once and he wasn’t entirely sure what they were. He heard the blonde call his name as something sharp clipped his side. At the same time, the full weight of a body crashed into his hard enough to knock the wind from his lungs. Prompto let out a painful cry and they slammed into something hard for a brief moment before it gave out beneath them. Then they were falling. Stairs, he assumed but the pain muted all of his senses for, what felt like an eternity. Something cracked in his side sending a nauseating feeling through his body until they finally hit the bottom and rolled a feet. The MT and demon sound filled the room they’d fallen into and Ignis could barely find the strength to move. His chest was tight and everything hurt.  
“Prom?” he choked on the blonde’s name, trying to locate him, wondering if he’d been the one to shove him. A demon, too close for comfort began to laugh.  
“Ignis?” He heard Prompto’s voice but it was weak and pained. “Shit… what is? Iggy through here!” Ignis did his best to pull himself in Prompto’s direction but something sharp got a hold of his leg and this time didn’t stifle the cry. “Iggy!” Prompto’s voice was closer now and a gunshot rang out in the room. It must have been a small room because Ignis’ ears rang painfully which was even more disorienting for him. Something grabbed his arm and jerked him roughly in the opposite direction of the demons. Then they were falling again but this time it was a much shorter and less painful drop. He was somewhere warmer now. The ground was soft like… grass? The pain and exhaustion took hold, however and the last thing Ignis heard were the angry screeches of the demons and MTs fleeing into the distance.


	3. Day 3

“Are you quite certain we are walking in the right direction?” Dorian’s elegant voice broke the five minutes of silence since he’d last asked the question. A variety of irritated sounds and protests erupted from the party in unison.  
“Creators have mercy, Dorian, yes! For the last time, this is the right direction,” the Inquisitor replied with an exasperated sigh. “In fact, according to the scout’s reports, we should be getting close.” Lavellan planted her staff in the soft foliage of the forest and paused. She let her it prop against her shoulder while she dug through her pack to find the letter. The others waited a moment but Lavellan let out a frustrated groan as she struggled to keep the bag steady and find the parchment with one arm. It had only been a couple months but she was finding that adapting to one less limb was much harder than she anticipated. Their newest addition to the party took a step forward and steadied the bag for her without a word and barely a glance. She managed to find the scroll and drew it out. “Thank you, Fenris.” She said quickly. He nodded once and took a step back. “Harding said it should be through here.” She nodded in the direction they were heading but the forest was so dense it would be difficult to get through.  
“How are we supposed to move forward?” Fenris asked no one in particular.  
“Guess it’s a good thing you brought the guy with the big ass sword!” This time their Qunari member answered in a loud, cheerful voice. Dorian’s expression was somewhere between disgust and arousal which made Lavellan grin with amusement.  
“Yes, yes, Amatus. We know you have the largest… weapon here,” Dorian replied with a sigh and a shudder. Bull winked at him as he moved to the front of the group and drew his great sword from the straps on his back.  
“It’s dark inside.”  
Lavellan turned suddenly, the quiet whisper catching her off guard. “Is something wrong, Cole?” Fenris glared in the boy’s direction. It had been a rough intro between those two but it was usually hard for anyone meeting Cole for the first time. He was different, after all. Fenris had shown up shortly after Corypheus’s defeat. He’d come to help after receiving Varric’s letter of Hawke’s death. He told Lavellan that if the love of his life was willing to sacrifice herself for their cause, it was the least he could do in her honor. However, he’d been cleaning house on his journey their killing every group of Venatori he ran into along the way and by the time he’d reached Skyhold, the battle had finished. They weren’t done though and Fenris swore into the Inquisition. He very nearly left immediately after meeting Cole, furious that a demon was serving them, certain it’d only be a matter of time before he turned on them. After a brief encounter with their spymaster, Leliana, Fenris decided to stay.  
All of the Inquisition resources were going into cleaning up the remaining Venatori and locating the traitor before he tried to destroy the world. It had not been easy for Lavellan, watching the man she loved turn his back on them and leave her behind. Between losing her world and her arm it was near unbearable. “Dread Wolf take him” she’d often curse to herself and then laugh at the irony in the statement. That was exactly what had happened. Their current adventure out of Skyhold was a wild goose chase that would most likely yield nothing of value as many of their previous endeavors. Lavellan was hopeful, even if her comrades were not.  
“It’s dark,” Cole continued, staring at the vines they were about to work through. “A bright man dreams in the cold, alone, while the world swirls in darkness and dies.” Bull, Dorian, and Fenris stared at Cole with unease, which he often made them feel but the Inquisitor moved to stand in front of him.  
“Is it true then, Cole? Are we close to an Eluvian?”  
The boy nodded underneath his wide brimmed hat. “It was open, but now it’s not.”  
“Fenedhis lasa!” Lavellan cursed and turned to Bull. “Open it!”  
Bull’s body twisted with his sword, launching the massive blade horizontal through the vines. Three more of these swings and the way was clear. Lavellan launched through first before any of them could protest.  
“Solas!” she called his name once with anger but it wasn’t Solas. Something hissed and launched towards her. Bull pulled her back out of the way just in time and seized the creature by the throat as it flew through the air. A hard swing and the beast slammed into the ground. By now Lavellan was prepared and fire twirled around the end of her staff. The thing was short with pinkish skin and wielded a crescent blade almost the size of its own body. The thing looked like a strange cross between a human and a demon but nothing she’d ever seen before.  
“That’s new,” Bull commented and brought his blade down without hesitation. The creature was fast and hopped out of reach just in time with an unnerving cackle. The Inquisitor loosed a bolt of fire at it and the thing screeched and started to flee.  
Lavellan’s staff shot out in front of her. “Oh no you don’t,” she growled and bright orange ruins etched themselves into the ground in the creature’s path. As soon as he hit the outer ring the ruin exploded into flames and the creature screamed before collapsing.  
The others had moved forward, waiting for if they needed to step in. “Fasta vass, what was that?” Dorian cursed moving closer to the creature.  
“Kadan, be careful,” Bull warned with a concerned tone. Dorian crouched beside the creature.  
“Cole, have you ever seen anything like this?” Dorian asked, turning to the boy who partially hid behind the Inquisitor. He stepped forward eagerly and looked over the body just as it evaporated into a dark purple mist.  
“What happened? What did you do?” Fenris snapped, shooting Cole a suspicious glare.  
“It went away,” Cole said as-a-matter-of-factly and Fenris rolled his eyes. “This is not one of ours. This is from a different dark.”  
“By the Creators, Harding was right.” The Inquisitor was staring off where the creature had been running. Around the other side of a thick tree truck, tucked away and nearly swallowed by the vines was a mirror. It sat at an angle and pushed forward slightly as the trees and vines grew behind and around it. The forest was so dense hardly any light made it through the thick trees leaving the area dim and hard to see.  
“Shit,” Bull growled, taking in the surroundings in case there were more of those demon creatures.  
Fenris took up the rear, watching their backs as the party moved forward. “You told me the Elf destroyed all but the one mirror.”  
“I thought he did,” Lavellan spoke softly, still trying to understand what they were looking at.  
“So the great Dread Wolf forgot one of his own magic mirrors?” Bull growled.  
Cole spoke up this time. “Not forgot… misplaced. Out of sight out of mind like a spider on the ceiling.”  
“There’s someone there, on the ground,” Dorian announced and Lavellen once again took off, leaving the others behind.  
“So…las?” the name trailed off as she approached not one but two figures lying unconscious in the grass. “They’re wounded. Dorian!”  
The mage sighed and knelt down next to the blonde one while Lavellan rolled the darker haired one onto his back. His torso was soaked with blood and a large scar stretched over his eye. “Certainly dressed strangely,” Dorian commented. “I don’t hate it.”  
“This one’s aren’t bad,” Lavellan said. “Looks like a blade wound to the side and some broken bones. Shit I should have concentrated more on healing magic instead of insisting on catching everything on fire.”  
“Well my particular skillset requires the subjects to be a bit more… deceased,” Dorian added. “This one is worse off than yours. Don’t think he’ll make it.”  
“You could try some optimism once in a while, Dorian. It wouldn’t kill you,” Lavellen groaned and moved over to the blonde.  
“It might,” Dorian replied and Bull let out a short snort.

“Are you two quite finished?!” Lavellan growled and they both sobered up.

Dorian sighed. “All I’m saying is if we found a demon and two bloody bodies there’s a good chance it was blood magic and not the wholesome, family dinner sort.”

“We can ask them once they’re awake. We need to stop…” she was cut off when the dark haired one inhaled suddenly and shot up in a panic.


	4. Day 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is nerdier and more fun than I ever could have imagined haha

Ignis was having a nightmare. That much he was aware of. But it wasn’t the usual one that had plagued him every night since Altissia. This one was different, more vivid. He could smell the blood, feel the heat of a raging fire, and hear his heart shatter into a million pieces as Ardyn butchered his prince in front of his now seeing eyes. Ignis woke with a start. His one good eye, wide and unseeing, sweat poured down his face and lungs clenched in his chest, making it hard to breathe. Then he felt the pain. His side and chest throbbed, escalating his breathing difficulties. He ordered himself to calm down several times before he realized there was a voice speaking to him through the ringing in his ears.  
“…down. You’re…” He focused and felt a hand come down gently on his shoulder. He fought with himself to hold still and not lash out. The touch was gentle, not violent. “Can you hear me?” Ignis nodded, unable to find his voice through the pain. “C-can you see?” It was a woman’s voice. She had an accent same as his. Ignis shook his head. “Alright, I need you to lay back and stay calm so you don’t hurt yourself further.” Ignis started to obey but a memory returned and he panicked again.  
“P-Prompto,” he managed.  
“Is that the blonde one?”  
Ignis nodded.  
“He’s hurt but we’re helping him best we can. Can you tell me what happened?”  
Ignis wracked his memories. “I… I am uncertain. We were surrounded. Demons and MTs had us cornered. I believe Prompto saved my life. We fell… into something and I woke up. Is this grass? Are we outside?”  
“Yes you are,” the woman answered, obvious confusion lacing her tone. “We ran into the demon before we found you but it didn’t look like anything I’ve ever seen. Were you two practicing blood magic? Which one of you summoned it?”  
Ignis was at a loss for words, unable to decipher her question. “I… I am afraid I don’t understand the question. We did not… summon the demon.”  
“See, Dorian?” the woman addressed someone else.  
“Oh and I suppose you’re just going to take the strange man with impeccable style’s word for it?” a man answered, also sharing Ignis’ accent. Were they from…?  
“Cole, stay with our new friend here a moment while I work on the other one,” the woman interrupted Ignis’s thoughts. He felt her move away and a different hand replaced hers on his shoulder. He felt something strange then. An aura around him that seemed to calm him a bit. “What’s your name?” the woman asked a bit further away now.  
“Ignis.”  
“And your friend is Prompto? Sounds a bit Tevene. Are you from Tevinter?”  
“Judging by how they’re dressed, I wouldn’t be surprised,” a new voice asked. His was deeper and must have come from a very large man.  
Ignis tilted his head. He’d never heard of Tevinter. “No we’re from Lucis.”  
There was a long pause. “Where is that?” the large man asked.  
“This is all very disorienting for me. I apologize but… are we still in Niflheim?” Ignis finally asked the obvious question. Could they have been transported to a different part of the world by something in that science compound?  
“Never heard of it.” Another long silence as they all attempted to work out just what was going on. “I’m Inquisitor Lavellan, we’re with the Inquisition so you’re safe. We’ll do everything we can to help you and your friend.”  
Inquisition? Ignis pushed the dozens of questions he had to the back of his mind. He wasn’t going to get the answers he wanted until he had a pair of eyes with him so he asked the most important question. "How is he?”  
Lavellan sighed. “He’s lost a lot of blood and my healing magic is… mediocre at best. Once I’m comfortable with moving him we can get back to our camp. We have plenty of healing salves there.”  
“I felt him push me out of the way.”  
“He’s got a wound in his side much like yours but his is larger and deeper. Looks like he took the brunt of demon’s attack.” Ignis sighed at Lavellan’s words. “So, you said you fell? Did you come through the Eluvian?”  
Ignis was becoming frustrated with the strange words. Were they on an entirely different planet? “I’m afraid I don’t know what that is.”  
“The mirror. We found you in front of it so I assume you either came here to summon demons or you came through the Eluvian. Did Solas send you?” there was a hint of hope in the woman’s voice but Ignis only understood a third of her question.  
“No, I don’t know anyone by the name of Solas and I’m afraid I’m in the dark when it comes to how we got here,” Ignis wasn’t beyond a little irony and he heard the large man snort.  
“Prompto will be able to answer these questions a bit better once he is well enough.” Ignis hated the feeling of being in the dark, both literally and figuratively. If only he could see where he was and who these people were.  
“Bull, will you carry this one for me?” he heard Lavellan ask.  
“Sure, Boss,” the large man answered.  
“Dorian, will you help Ignis?”  
“My pleasure,” the one with the flashy voice replied and Ignis heard another pair of footsteps approach.  
“Kadan, maybe tone down the flirting… at least a little bit while I’m around,” the big man groaned. “I only have eyes for you, Amatus,” the flashy one replied and then turned to Ignis. “If I may.” A strong arm reached across his back and the other took his arm and draped it around the man’s neck. “Are you ready?” Ignis nodded and the man hauled him up to his feet. Ignis grimaced as a wave of pain shuddered through his body but the man Lavellan called Dorian waited patiently for him to recover.  
“Thank you… Dorian, was it?”  
“Yes! Dorian of House Pavus, at your service. The large Qunari with your boy Prompto is Iron Bull, careful he’s the jealous sort. The one next to you is Cole, he’s a strange one but will grow on you like a parasitic puppy. And the quiet one you probably didn’t even realize was here is Fenris. He’s recently joined up, prides himself in brooding and hates everything.” Ignis heard a quiet scoff several feet away.  
They start to move and Ignis found walking harder than he imagined. Dorian kept him supported and upright, however and they move steadily forward. The advisor could hear the cracking and snapping of vegetation under foot, leaves moving slowly in the wind almost sounding like water, but everything was muted and sounded far away. It was a forest but it must have be incredibly dense. “I am grateful for your help. Prompto is very important to me and I am unsure what I would have done if you hadn’t come along when you did.”  
“I imagine you’d be demon food right about now, blood mage,” a new deep, angry voice answered. This must have been Fenris judging by Dorian’s description.  
“Yes,” Ignis answered carefully. “I imagine I would be. What exactly is a blood mage and why do you think I am one?”  
“You are either very clever or very naïve,” Fenris growled.  
“In these present circumstances I must go with naïve. I have never heard of this place in my extensive studies therefore would know nothing of your culture.” Ignis tried to stay as diplomatic as possible. That was his job after all. He had trained and studied for years to be Noctis’ advisor. There was very little he didn’t know… back then. Currently, he didn’t know where Noctis was or if he’d ever come back. He didn’t know if Prompto would be alright. He didn’t know who these people were or most of their words and questions. And most frightening of all he had no idea where he was or how he got there. They had said something about a mirror. A magic mirror. Was that kind of magic possible? He’d never seen nor heard of any kind of teleportation magic. Magic was all elemental and only came from their king. No one else should be able to draw from it. But these people seemed to know magic but spoke of it differently. They knew demons but for some reason assumed he’d summoned it… with blood magic. If blood magic actually used blood then their suspicions would be founded, discovering him in such a state. But he’d never heard of blood magic or the ability to summon demons. Demons were made from humans infected with the star scourge. The only way to “summon” one would be to purposefully infect them like the Empire had done to create the MTs. Were these people with the Empire? Perhaps the places they mentioned were just code names for Imperial bases.  
“You know what a mage is?” the large man known as Iron Bull asked but didn’t give Ignis a chance to answer “no”. “It’s like that but with blood and demons.” That didn’t answer Ignis’ question in the slightest but his head throbbed, his chest ached, and his side continually sent sharp pains through the right half of his body so he lost interest in the attempted questioning and gave up. It was another slow, quiet hour before the sounds of the forest became crisper and the air, easier to breath. Ignis inhaled sharply when he took a step forward and was bathed in a warmth. The darkness in his vision lightened ever so slightly and he realized he felt something he never thought he would again. He felt the sun on his face and it nearly brought tears to his eyes. They were most definitely not on Eos any longer.


	5. Day 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> short chapter as the result of a busy day but Aranea somehow wrote herself into the story and chewed out Gladio so that was fun!

Gladio had twenty-two missed calls, sixteen voicemails, and thirty-something texts when he finally checked his phone. Most were from Cindy, a handful from Aranea and one from Iggy. He listened to Ignis' message first.  
“Gladio,” the advisor spoke with purpose but his voice was low and seemed despondent, “Prompto is not doing well and I think it would be best if I take him out for a spell before he waists away in his room. We are returning to Gralea to hunt down anything we can find on the Crystal. Should only be gone a couple days. The Commodore is on standby for extraction so no need to concern yourself with us,” there was a painful pause. “Be safe, Gla—“ the message cut short and Gladio squeezed his phone, using every ounce of self-control not to throw it. He was pissed. He dialed Ignis when he was certain his phone was safe from destruction. What kind of idiot thought it’d be okay to let a blind advisor and… Prompto go to Gralea alone? There was no answer so he dialed Prompto next. Yes, they could handle themselves alright… for the most part but the city was swarming with demons and rogue MTs and Ignis was still coping with his new… condition. No answer from Prompto and his stomach dropped. Cindy had tried him several times; too many times. He dialed Cindy with a shaking hand. She picked up immediately.  
“You weasely son of a bitch,” she growled ferociously on the other line. Cindy didn’t curse often or very well but when she made the effort you knew you were in deep shit. “Where the hell have you been? I thought you’d disappeared as well or worse! Ara and I have been trying all three of you for hours!”  
“Cindy,” Gladio cut her off with a stern tone. “What do you mean ‘disappeared too’?”  
“Aranea dropped Iggy and Prom at a research facility in Gralea yesterday. She was busy making runs and left them there. They were supposed to call me every two hours with their location and a green light that they were okay. They’d call Ara for a pick up when they were ready to jet. It’s been five hours, Gladio. Time to get your shielding ass in gear and find those boys!”  
Gladio sighed, guilt welling inside him. “You know where they last checked in?”  
“Already sent you and Ara the coordinates.”  
“I assume Aranea is taking me then?”  
“She should be there any minute.”  
“How does she know where I am?”  
“You idiot,” Cindy snapped. “Someone has to look out for you boys since you stopped lookin out for each other. The prince would never stand for it, otherwise.”  
Gladio sighed as the bright lights of a Magitek Engine flooded his camp. “Aranea’s here. I’ll keep you posted.” He hung up before Cindy could make him feel any worse. The red ship sank towards the ground slowly, churning dust and debris around the camp, nearly pulling Gladio’s tent from the ground. She was landing dangerously close and it was mostly likely on purpose. The rear ramp lowered slowly and Gladio braced for the storm.  
“Since you’re clearly not dead, you better have a damn good reason for not answering your phone.” The commodore stepped off the ramp with her arms crossed and fire in her eyes.  
“I was on a hunt. Didn’t have time to check.” It wasn’t an excuse. It was the truth. The silver haired mercenary walked up to him and landed a solid fist square in his jaw. Gladio took a couple steps back, not surprised in the least.  
“Get in,” she hissed and headed back to her ship. Gladio grabbed his pack but left everything else behind. She was airborne in seconds and he took a seat in the cockpit next to her as the ship shot over the terrain. Her face was stone but her eyes were panicked.  
“Look, Aran—” Gladio started but was silenced by a single, angry stare.  
“You’re a fucking moron, you know that?”  
Gladio let loose a single humorless laugh and nodded. “Yeah.”  
“Look, I know you guys have gone through some shit but you went through it together. Noctis isn’t dead, he’s missing and all three of you need to get that through your stubborn fucking heads. Ignis has been training to the point of deadly exhaustion trying to improve himself but in the process he’s neglected Prompto. Prom is a fucking mess after losing his best friend, refusing to leave his room most of the time and barely eating. If Cindy hadn’t talked some sense into Iggy for me Prompto would have most likely died in that room. And I’ve had to watch them both sit and wait for word that you’re alive because you can’t pick up your fucking phone once in a while.” Aranea took in a deep, furious breath.  
“You done?”  
She reached over and punched him in the jaw with such grace he didn't actually see that one coming. Gladio grinned ever-so-slightly at her while nursing his now doubly swollen jaw. The smile was chased away by a frown. "Seems like all three of us could use one of your pep talks.” Aranea didn’t reply. “I didn’t realize Prompto was having such a hard time. I would’ve—”  
“You should have known, Gladio.” It was final and ended the conversation. Gladio sat silently in the passenger seat going over all of the “what ifs” and “should haves” while they shot towards their destination. It didn’t take them long at the speed Aranea was flying to reach the city.  
“Are we going to back to the keep?” Gladio finally broke the several hours of silence.  
“No I dropped them at a smaller facility near the edge of the city. That’s where we’ll start.” Gladio nodded once and closed his eyes, reaching for that familiar magic. His broadsword appeared in his hand with a flash of blue and white peddles. A little tension eased inside of him. Another successful summons and the only connection he had left to his prince. Still alive.


	6. Day 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My pacing is rough but making sure I write everyday is leaving me with little editing time so it's pretty much a live writing session. haha Maybe after the month is over I'll go back and polish it up!

The inside of the facility looked almost identical to Zegnautus Keep only much smaller. The hallways were narrow and cold with miscellaneous crates and shelves lining them. There was some residual power still pumping through the building so the doors worked but most of the lights were busted. Aranea moved quietly and swiftly in front of him, her massive spear in hand and ready to shove through the first hostile thing that came at her.  
“Try calling Prompto,” Aranea spoke so suddenly it caught Gladio off guard.  
“What? Why Prompto?”  
“Because Ignis most likely put his phone on vibrate to keep the noise down and Prompto most likely forgot.”  
Gladio couldn’t argue with that logic and pulled out his phone and dialed. He heard the ring on the other line but nothing in their vicinity so Aranea led them on. Gladio couldn’t stand being in his own head any longer as they searched so he finally spoke in a low whisper.  
“I can’t believe Prompto got so bad. He’s always so chipper it’s almost annoying.”  
Aranea scoffed. “You really are an idiot.” Gladio glared at her. “Prompto plays it off but he’s got a lot of dark shit to deal with. Did you ask him what happened after his train accident?”  
“A little. Never really got the chance to go into details.”  
“You know what he is, right?”  
“To be honest, I didn’t quite get it but I know he’s Nif. I know he was somehow connected to the MT program. It didn’t really matter to me though.”  
Aranea pulled Gladio into a room off the main hall and looked him in the eyes. “Prompto is a genetic clone of the Emperor’s scientist, Verstael Besithia. Basically the man who created the MTs is Prompto’s father… of sorts.” Gladio’s eyes went wide. “When I found Prompto he’d just shot Versteal in the head and had given up entirely until I dragged him out of there. When I found him the second time he was trying to burn that damn code print off his arm with a flaming stick. Prompto found out he was nothing more than a failed experiment and killed his father twice on that trip before, from what I hear, being captured again and held for days by Ardyn. You understand now why losing his best friend would hit him so hard?”  
“Shit,” Gladio whispered but couldn’t think of anything else to say.  
“Let’s keep looking. If anything’s happened to that damn advisor I’ll—” she didn’t finished and Gladio raised an eyebrow.  
“How long?” he asked as they moved swiftly between rooms.  
“What?”  
“How long have you and Iggy?”  
Aranea ground to a halt and glared at him. “There is nothing between me and Ignis, Gladio. Now get your head on straight and help me find them!”  
Gladio managed to hide the grin as they continued on. The next floor he dialed Prompto but with no luck. “Damnit where the hell are they?” Gladio growled impatiently. Several floors down and the demons started to show up. Most were easy to pick off but fighting with two massive weapons in such tight quarters was a challenge for them both. Gladio swung wide from the wall at the three hopping towards them from the front while Aranea dove low under the swing, thrusting the spear into the two approaching from the rear.  
“We need to keep moving before we’re overrun,” Aranea called back to Gladio. “We can’t keep fighting in this hall.” He nodded in agreement and looked for an exit.  
“There!” he motioned towards a door to their right with a little sign to mark the stairs. Aranea moved for the door while he watched her back but she let out an angry cry when she burst through the door. Her hand caught the blade of an MT before it could push deeper, kicking her foot out hard enough to throw it back. Gladio pushed passed her to finish the thing off while she inspected the fresh wound in her side. The blood oozed out between her armor plates when she pulled her hand away and she growled again in frustration. She’d had worse but there had also been immediate medical attention. Potions were harder to come by now and used for only the most sever wounds. This wasn’t that bad.  
“Hey, you okay?” Gladio was now in front of her trying to find where she was hurt.  
She pushed him away. “I’ll be fine. It’s just a scratch. Let’s keep moving before more come.” Gladio flashed her an unconvinced glance before leading the way down the stairs. This time the stairwell led them into a much wider hallway. Dozens of doors lined the walls and Gladio tried Prompto once more. Nothing. So he dialed Ignis. They both froze. There was a faint, rhythmic buzzing coming from one of the rooms and the two set off to locate the source.  
“Gladio, look,” Aranea pulled his attention to a couple fallen MTs. She followed them to a door that looked as though it’d been kicked in. Gladio followed her to the door and froze, his face losing all color. Blood spattered the edge of the door frame. Gladio tried Ignis’ phone again. The buzzing was closer and coming from inside. He entered first this time and almost lost his footing. Only a couple feet into the open doorway was an abrupt, steep set of stairs. At the base of the stairs was a smallish room, nearly empty save for a massive, decorated mirror hooked up to all sorts of strange machinery. It had been knocked over but not broken, and laid back at an angle. The buzzing stopped and a small black rectangle near the mirror caught his attention. The screen went dark and Gladio picked it up. Ignis’s phone. Aranea was paler now as she inspected the room but Gladio couldn’t tell if it was worry or blood loss.  
“More blood,” she barely managed. “Look at the path though.”  
Gladio pulled his attention from Ignis’ phone to look down. There were droplets dotting the floor but two large smears leading in the same direction. “They’re all leading to this thing?” His shoe nudged the edge of the mirror, its frame groaning against the stone floor. “Let’s get it up and see what this is.” Aranea nodded and Gladio dismissed his sword. The white and blue shattered magic immediately shot for the mirror before Gladio could reach it. The frame exploded with light and the glass warped every-so-slightly. “What the hell?”  
“A doorway?” Aranea looked again at the blood leading to where the mirror lay. “Maybe they went through.”  
“This is where the trail ends so I suppose we don’t have a choice.” Gladio sighed. “This is fucking weird.” They nodded once at each other and both jumped in.


	7. Day 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> short and sweet but at least I'm caught up and my days actually match the date!

Ignis was exhausted from all the walking but kept his focus on the sun to keep himself moving. It was the sun. Bright and hot on his face, his blind eye barely able to make out the light. He felt as though he could almost see shapes in the light. Perhaps his vision hadn’t been completely lost but living in a sunless world only made it feel that way. If Noctis were to bring the sun back, maybe—.  
His thoughts were interrupted by Dorian’s voice. “Are you alright?”  
Ignis attempted to straighten a little, taking what weight he could off the man’s shoulders. “Oh, yes.”  
“Well you have been staring at the sun for the past hour in tears. Even blind that can’t be good for you… right?”  
Ignis didn’t realize he’d been crying and blushed a little in embarrassment. He could feel several sets of eyes on him now. “I… forgive me. Where I am from… our sun… well it is a very long story for another time but I will say I have not… felt the sun in quite a while.” Another uncomfortable silence made Ignis wish he could see their faces. A quiet groan pulled everyone’s attention from Ignis. “Prompto?” He started to unconsciously pull Dorian along towards the sound. Another small groan and some mumbling halted their progress.  
“Kid’s waking up,” Bull announced the obvious with a little uncertainty in his voice. “Should I put him down?”  
“No,” Lavellan answered. “We need to get back to the camp as quickly as possible to save him. But we should wait a moment for Ignis to check on him. We don’t want him to panic and a familiar face should help that.”  
Dorian took Ignis over to Bull a little quicker now and let him stand on his own, keeping a hand hovering near his back in case he needed the support. Bull lowered the best he could so Ignis was level with Prompto, the advisor completely unaware of just how large the Qunari was. Ignis’ hand reached out in front of him until he felt Prompto’s arm, lightly tracing his way up to his cheek to angle his face towards his own.  
“Prompto? Can you hear me?” Ignis asked, his thumb resting at the corner of Prompto’s lips, feeling for his breath while the last two rested on his neck, checking his heartbeat. His breathing was labored and heartrate dangerously slow and all Ignis could do for him was put his faith in these strangers. He used to have answers for everything and now he felt beyond helpless. It was shameful really. What would Noctis say right now if he could see him? Ignis forced himself back on track.  
“His eyes are startin to open up,” Bull helpfully informed Ignis.  
“Prompto?”  
“Wha… Ig—” he trailed off in a slur.  
“I’m here, you’re safe. We’re going to get some help for you. This gentleman here is carrying you but there’s no reason to be alarmed.” Bull snorted a little when Ignis called him a gentleman. So did a couple others in the group.  
“You… okay?” Prompto breathed, still staring at Ignis through narrow eyes.  
Ignis smiled. “I’m fine, thanks to you.”  
Prompto nodded once and looked up at the man carrying him. His eyes widened a little. “Um… Iggy?”  
“Yes, Prompto?”  
“Why does this guy have horns?” He drifted off after the question and Bull grinned. Ignis’ brow wrinkled in confusion and he let himself lean against Dorian.  
“Perhaps he’s a bit delusional from the blood loss,” Ignis replied as they started to move again.  
“No, no,” Bull answered proudly. “I’ve got the biggest, most impressive horns you’ve… never seen!”  
Ignis’s eyebrow climbed a little and Dorian clarified for him. “Bull is a Qunari. It’s a race of large brutish ox-men with a ridiculously constraining religion he is thankfully no longer part of or we’d all be dead right now.” It didn’t answer Ignis’ question entirely, only brought on more, but it was enough for now.  
“So the Qunari have horns then,” Ignis clarified.  
“We do but mine are the best,” Bull answered.  
“I see. Any other interesting physical traits I do not know about?”  
Bull grinned wider. “Well sure but Dorian is the only one privileged enough to know the details.” Dorian and Cole nodded in agreement while Lavellan snorted and Fenris rolled his eyes.  
“I…” Ignis sighed. “I meant your other companions.”  
“Oh,” Bull answered quietly.  
“Well,” Lavellan answered this time. “Fenris and I are Elven so our ears a pointed. Cole looks like a human so nothing strange there. Dorian is also human so he’s not all that special.” Ignis couldn’t see the mischievous grin on Lavellan’s face or the crushed expression on Dorian’s.  
“Not that special?” he answered with a hurt tone. Ignis could tell they were close, the way they teased each other. Sounded familiar enough. “Says the Elf with the one arm.”  
Ignis perked up. “One arm?”  
“One of many battle scars,” Lavellan answered casually. “Small sacrifice in a greater battle.”  
Ignis’ head snapped in her direction and he laughed but it was gloomy. “I know that sentiment all too well. Perhaps we have more in common than originally thought.”  
“Perhaps we can exchange stories when you’re not bleeding out.”  
Ignis grinned more genuinely this time but his head starting to spin in a nauseating way and his body became heavier, sagging in Dorian’s grip.  
“Ignis?” Dorian asked, feeling the weight start to pull. “Ignis!” His name echoed in his head as the sounds around him became distant and then silenced completely.


	8. Day 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another busy day, another short chapter. Apparently everyone likes to pass out. I don't have an outline at all for this story so it's very uch writing itself right now and as a result, is quite rough. Oh well! On wards!

The fall was nauseating and felt like an eternity, though it only lasted a couple seconds. She expected to hit something solid but instead landed in plush vegetation. That didn’t dull the pain, however, and she let out an involuntary cry when she hit face down. She was playing the wound off to keep them on track but the truth was the blade went deeper than she let on. She felt her body screaming in protest, balancing precariously on the edge of consciousness.  
The sound of a dozen swords unsheathing promptly pulled Aranea back to the surface. She sat up with a groan and found Gladio in a defensive stance next to her. He was pale though. Strangely so and had something between defeat and despair spread across his face. He didn’t look injured but held out an empty hand as though trying to summon his weapon. She put the pieces together quickly. He couldn’t summon his weapon. Which meant he was cut off from the prince’s powers. That meant the prince was either dead or they were so far away he couldn’t reach him. Judging by Gladio’s expression, he’d assumed the worst possible outcome and Aranea wondered if he had even considered the latter. She struggled to her feet, squeezing the shaft of her spear in reassurance. At least she was armed but even injured she’d have a hard time with this many men on her own. The soldiers were human, not MTs, as far as she could tell, dressed in strange armor, armed with swords and bows. Gladio took a moment to glance at her with dread and she rolled her eyes.  
“We have been ordered by Inquisitor Lavellan to take you to Skyhold.” She couldn’t see which one spoke through the torches. “Drop your weapons and you won’t be harmed.”  
“I don't know any Inquisitor. You with the Empire?” Aranea hissed back, even wounded she was something terrifying to behold.  
The soldiers looked at one another in confusion. “Which do you speak of?” A man stepped forward, clearly their commander by his more elaborate uniform.  
“Where did this thing bring us?” Gladio asked, taking a moment to glance behind him at the now still mirror.  
Aranea flashed him a look. “Are we fighting through them or going with them?”  
The soldiers tensed but Gladio sighed. “We’re goin with them. You’re injured and I… I can’t… summon my sword.” Aranea nodded in understanding and set her spear down but brought her hand to her side, grimacing.  
“I am Commander Rylen. We would appreciate your cooperation and come with us.” He turned his attention to Aranea who now swayed a little. “You’re wounded.”  
“I’m fine,” Aranea insisted. “We’re looking for a couple of our friends that may have passed through here. You know anything about that?”  
Rylen held up his hand, signaling for his soldiers to stand down. “I do, in fact,” he replied and motioned for the two of them to follow. One of the men approached and carefully picked up her spear as they walked. “The Inquisitor and her party found your friends and a demon outside the eluvian yesterday. The demon was dispatched and your friends taken for medical attention.”  
“Medical attention?” Gladio’s voice was laced with worry.  
“Last I heard they were both alive, though one was in more serious condition than the other.” Aranea quietly inhaled sharply. Gladio looked in her direction thinking she was reacting to the news. She was worried about them, sure, but the sudden breath was actually a misstep that jolted her side and sent a sharp fresh pain resonating through her right side. She trusted Prompto to take care of Ignis, despite quietly wishing to herself she could be the one to do that. In their meetings on and off they’d grown close and she’d found herself caring for the advisor more than she ever expected to. She wasn’t entirely sure how he felt about her and didn’t plan on talking to him about it any time soon. Now was not the time. Their prince had recently gone missing in a magic Crystal and the world was plunged into darkness. She glanced up at the sky wondering if the sun would ever come back and noticed something she hadn’t before.  
“Gladio,” she called for his attention. He slowed to walk beside her and looked up. They both stopped. It wasn’t just the sun that had vanished. The moon and the stars had gone out as well sending the whole planet into darkness. But they were certain they were seeing the same thing.  
“Are those… stars?” Gladio asked in surprise.  
“If the sun isn’t out here that means we could be in a completely different world,’ Aranea replied, waiting for him to understand what she was getting at.  
“Which means…”  
“Noctis isn’t dead. You can’t summon your weapon because we aren’t even on Eos anymore.”  
Gladio pushed a relieved breath through his lips. “There where the hell are we and how do we get back?”  
“We need to get Prompto and Ignis back first. Then we can worry about getting home.”  
Gladio nodded in agreement. “Here’s the camp. We have a couple horses to take you up to Skyhold. It’s only a day’s ride from the base of the Frostbacks. Where we are currently.” Rylen interjected.  
“Thanks, we apprec…iate…” Aranea found it harder to speak and everything started to spin.  
“Aranea?” Gladio’s voice sounded hollow and distant before everything went dark.


	9. Day 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay better chapter. I’m better at writing Iggy and Prom than I am the other two. Also trying to remember to keep the spelling of daemon vs demon correct depending on which fandom I’m addressing.

Prompto came to slowly. Sounds started to spill in first but mostly jumbled, nonsensical noises. Voices, footsteps, clanking metal, birds… birds? It felt like an eternity since Prompto had heard birds. He forced his mind de-clutter itself and focused on opening his eyes. His body felt like a sack of potatoes but he forced his eyes into slits and moaned a little. Feeling started to come back as he focused on his toes first, moved to his legs, his torso which seemed to be the source of his discomfort, chest, arms, fingers. Everything was there and partially submerged in an astonishingly plush bed under a thick layer of covers. His eyes pulled apart a little more and he noticed a voice was speaking much closer to him. He tried to focus on it but it sounded like someone was trying to talk to him through a wall. He hummed a little, hoping that would be enough of an answer as he concentrated on forcing his eyes open.  
“..to…” the words started to clear up. “…ompto, can you hear me?” The voice was familiar but it was taking him longer to place it while his head was still foggy. He hummed again in confirmation and forced his eyes open a little more. Everything was dim and blurry. He squeezed them shut and tried again. “Take is easy.” Ignis. The voice belonged to Ignis and his eyes widened.  
“Igg—” his mouth was uncomfortably dry and the word stuck in his throat coming out as a rasp more than anything else. He frowned in frustration.  
“Here, take a little water,” Ignis replied and slowly reached out his hand until he felt the pillow, sliding it until it was cradling Prompto’s head. He lifted it carefully and held a cup in front, waiting for Prompto. The blonde slowly pulled one of his arms out from under the warm blankets and weakly guided the cup to his lips. He took a couple slow sips before pushing it away.  
“Thanks,” he managed, still a little raspy but his mouth wasn’t so dry now. Ignis lowered his head back onto the pillow and sat back.  
“How do you feel?”  
“Like a demon tried to gut me,” Prompto replied as-a-matter-of-factly and Ignis raised an eyebrow.  
“Well from what they told me, that’s about what happened.”  
Prompto took a moment to look around the room he was in. It was shockingly different from where they had been. The steel and concrete had been replaced with stone and wood. Bright tapestries hung from the walls. Massive, heavy curtains were pulled shut and the room was illuminated dimly with a natural light rather than flashlights. “Where are we?” he finally asked. Ignis stood, placing a hand on the edge of the bed to guide himself over, taking a seat.  
“That is a little harder to explain. Especially from my perspective,” Ignis answered. “What do you remember?” Prompto sighed and tried to sit himself up. His body screamed at him particularly the right side of his abdomen and Ignis moved quickly to help. “Easy does it, Prompto. Best not reopen the wound.” The advisor’s arm slid under Prompto’s back while his other took a hold of his hand and helped him sit up. He felt for the pillows before stuffing them behind the blonde.  
“Thanks,” he replied. That was Ignis’ signal that he was sorted and the advisor returned to his seat on the edge of the bed. Prompto thought back to their fight in the facility, attempting to piece everything back together. “We were overrun in the hall. I think there were four or five MTs and at least a dozen various daemons. One of the little guys went after you while you took down an MT,” Prompto paused to look up at Ignis with a quick grin he couldn't see. “You’re getting good at fighting again,” he commented and Ignis gave him a short but grateful nod. “Anyways I shoved you into a doorway that happened to lead to a set of stairs... unfortunately. I didn’t know exactly where or how bad but I knew I got hit. Tumbled down the stairs and I must have blacked out cause I don’t remember much. When I came to there was a demon after you so I got my pistol out but when I did this big mirror lit up on the floor. The glass got kind of wavy like water. So I took a chance and tackled you into it. That’s kinda the last thing I remember.”  
“Thanks are in order, then. I am grateful you were there, Prompto. You saved my life,” the brunette smiled and bowed his head. “You also deserve an apology.”  
Prompto’s head snapped up in surprise. “What?”  
“I have been… neglecting my duties, both as an advisor… and a friend. I focused so thoroughly on training myself I failed to see where I was needed most and, in turn, failed you. For that, I am sorry, Prompto.”  
The blonde lowered his head letting his fingers twist into the blankets. “You shouldn’t have to apologize for that, Iggy.”  
“I do. We all suffered a loss and should be helping one another through it until he returns. It’s what Noct would want.” Prompto’s head popped up once again and he was so thankful Ignis couldn’t see his face in that moment. He had tried so hard to block that name from his thoughts. The less he thought of him the easier it would be right? But Ignis was right. That’s not what Noct would want and the thought of him failing his best friend sent him over the edge. Tears poured out of him while he tried his best to keep his breathing even. Ignis wasn't stupid, though. He moved around carefully, bringing his legs up onto the bed with a quiet grunt to sit beside Prompto. He noticed the advisor’s stiff movements and realized he must have been injured as well. Ignis carefully reached his arm around Prompto’s shoulders and pulled him closer.  
“It’s okay to miss him, Prompto. I miss him too.”  
That didn’t help the blonde’s overflowing emotions in the slightest but he let Ignis pull him close and he couldn’t hold back the sobs any longer. The exhaustion finally gripped him and he fell asleep on Ignis’ shoulder.  
He wasn’t sure how long he'd been out but when he woke again the advisor was still sitting beside him sleeping soundly. Prompto’s attention was pulled to something new in the room, he hadn’t noticed in his previous state. The curtains were open this time and he pushed himself up, fighting through the pain to get a better look. Was he hallucinating? It certainly didn’t feel like he was on any kind of pain medication so those side effects were written off immediately. He finally nudged Ignis, so carefully he wasn’t sure he’d actually wake up but he had to tell him.  
“Mmm?” Ignis hummed and stirred, slowly at first but snapped to attention when he remembered where he was. “Prompto? Is everything okay?” There was concern in his voice but Prompto couldn’t bring himself to answer immediately which only worried Ignis more. The advisor pulled his arm away cautiously and traced his hand up the side of Prompto’s face until it came to rest on his forehead. He brushed the blonde’s hair from his forehead, feeling his temperature. This pulled Prompto out of his trance long enough to finally address Ignis’ worry.  
“N-No… nothing like that,” he replied and Ignis pulled his hand away, satisfied with the mild warmth radiating from his head. He was a little warm but nothing concerning. It was most likely the layers of blankets he was under. “Ignis the sun’s out.” Prompto could hardly believe it himself as he spoke the words. Ignis’ didn’t seem surprised in the least.  
“Ah yes, I should have mentioned this sooner. I’m sorry but it is not what you think,” Ignis replied but was interrupted by a quiet knock at their door before it creaked open slowly.  
“Ah good! You’re both up!” A small, slender woman stood in the doorway with long black hair and… pointed ears? She held a tray out in front of her, balancing it precariously in her only arm. “I was hoping you’d be awake. I brought you tea.”  
“Miss Levellan,” Ignis answered with a smile sliding off the bed and slowly making his way towards her voice. “I would think you have people to do that for you.” He managed to reach her without tripping over anything and held out his hands for the tray. She passed it to his gratefully and guided him back to the table while she spoke.  
“I do, but I wanted to check on you myself. And for the last time, you can call me Vale.” She turned her attention to Prompto who still wore a dumbfounded expression and smiled. “I’m Inquisitor Lavellan but please, call me Vale. Perhaps you will be better at that than this one. Welcome to Skyhold, Prompto.”


	10. Day 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another short one because I was traveling most of the day. This weekend I won't be doing ANYTHING so hopefully writing motivation and time will increase!

Prompto was staring. He knew he was staring. He knew it was rude to stare but he couldn’t stop staring and Ignis couldn’t tell him to stop staring because he couldn’t see that he was.  
“Prompto,” Ignis spoke quietly pulling his attention away from the pointy eared woman. “Stop staring.” Prompto was staring at Ignis now. The advisor was sitting at the table near Prompto’s bed, sipping his tea.  
“How did you…” the Inquisitor began to ask and Ignis grinned.  
“I know I must have missed quite a lot of new and fascinating things on our journey here. Prompto will have the pleasure to describing all of it to me later. But from what you’ve told me it seems quite different from home. I also know Prompto very well. What he lacks in manners he makes up for in charm.”  
Prompto laughed nervously shifting his focus back to the window. “S-So that mirror was a doorway after all.”  
“Indeed,” Ignis answered.  
“So we aren’t in Niflheim anymore.”  
“I think the sun outside is cause to believe we are not on Eos any longer.”  
Prompto exhaled a long, quiet “oh” sound. “How?”  
“Ah, that would be Vale’s area of expertise.” Ignis nodded towards the woman who sat quietly across the table from him.  
“Well I wouldn’t call it expertise. Our expert left a couple month back and took my arm with him, the bastard.” Prompto and Ignis raised an eyebrow at her but she continued. “The eluvian belonged to the Elves, once upon a time. We still do not fully understand them, however.” She turned to Prompto. “The mirror you passed through, they are ancient magical doorways from long before our history remembers. They are links between worlds. Usually an eluvian takes you to the crossroads where many doorways rest. You seem to have found a direct passage, however, which would explain why Solas has not destroyed it.”  
“Who’s Solas?” Prompto asked before Ignis could ask why he wanted to destroy them.  
Vale had a bitter expression and Prompto wondered if he should have asked that. “He was someone I made the mistake of lov… trusting. But that is a very long story for another time. You need to rest, first and foremost.”  
Vale stood and Ignis followed respectfully. “Agreed.”  
“I need to change you bandages first, if you don’t mind.” Prompto shook his head. “You were lucky,” she continued as she rolled the comforter back. Prompto was shirtless under the covers with a white bandage wrapped tightly around his stomach. “Whatever got a hold of you cut nearly halfway through. I barely managed to stabilize you with what little healing magic I know.” Prompto watched her movements closely as she gently sat him up but paused and rolled her eyes when she looked down at the missing arm. “Ignis, would you hold him up while I remove the bandage?” Ignis nodded and moved towards her voice, feeling for the bed, then for Prompto until he found where her hand rested against his back. Prompto muffled a quiet, painful protest while Vale unraveled him and continued. “I’ve got some talented headers here in the keep and they pieced you back together nicely. You are going to be bloody sore for a while though and may not have as much strength in your right leg for a couple weeks until your body catches up with the magic. Otherwise you should be up and about by tomorrow.” Prompto looked down at the long raw line that stretched from just above his navel clear around to the right side of his back. It burned faintly but was more uncomfortable than unbearable. He couldn’t hold back the small gasp when he saw the size of it. The deamon had nearly cut him in half but his adrenaline had been running so high and desperate to get Iggy to safety he didn’t notice right away.  
Ignis’ head turned towards Prompto at the sound of his gasp. “Are you alright?”  
The blonde nodded once and then corrected himself. “Yeah. I just… wasn’t expecting it to be this.” He emphasized the last word and Vale shrugged.  
“As I said, you are incredibly lucky.” She turned to Ignis and tapped his hand, indicating he could let Prompto lay back down. “As are you for having a friend like him.”  
Ignis sighed a little sadly but nodded. “I am indeed.”  
Vale smiled at them both and headed for the door. “I’ll let you two get some rest. There are a lot of people eager to meet you once you’ve recovered. Then we can discuss getting you back home.” Prompto and Ignis both gave her the same, half-hearted smile and she let them be.  
“Forgive me, Prompto. I was not fully aware just how severe your condition was. I understand now they were withholding some details to keep me calm. I was only unconscious for a short time but they did not want your condition to make my own worse.”  
“Okay, first of all, don’t go apologizing again! You would have done the same for me.”  
“I should have been the one…”  
“Iggy,” Prompto snapped, an edge of anger in his voice. “Stop. It’s done. We’re alive. Let’s move on.”  
Ignis sighed. “Well at least we have impressive scars and an exciting tale to share with Gladio.”  
Prompto laughed, more genuinely this time. “I can’t wait to see the look on his face when he sees this. We’ll have a good story for when Noct gets back too.”  
It was Ignis’ turn to smile. “That we will. Now get some sleep. I’ll be here if you need anything.” Prompto pushed the comforter down to his waist, feeling warmer now and stared at Ignis. “Yes?” Ignis suddenly asked and Prompto raised an eyebrow.  
“How did you…?”  
“Sleep, Prompto.”  
Prompto sighed but was out as soon as his eyes were closed.


	11. Day 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't even know what's going on right now. this thing is out of my hands and writing itself. I didn't get to write like i had hoped but that's because I'm an ADD shit so here's to tomorrow!

Aranea woke angry and in pain. She’d been injured plenty of times but passing out was never her idea of fun, especially in a strange place surrounded by potential hostiles. She let out something between a groan and a growl and reached for her side instinctively. A large hand caught her wrist gently.

               “Woah, hey,” it was Gladio. Her eyes cracked open at his voice. “She fixed you up with some magic I’ve never seen before but it’s going to be tender.” He let her wrist go when she relaxed and let it drape over her stomach away from the bandage. “Welcome back.”

               “Yeah, thanks,” she groaned and tried to sit herself up with a wince. Gladio offered a hand to help but didn’t move in until she accepted it. “Where the hell are we?” She started to take in her surroundings now that she’d fully come to. “Are we on a trailer?”

               “Yeah, they’re taking us somewhere called Skyhold. Finally got some information out of their captain. Sounds like Prompto and Ignis are both there and alive. They don’t have phones here so I can’t call them. Most of what he said went over my head completely but from what I did get it sounds like, these guys are all part of an independent military or enforcement outfit of some kind. Seems like they act mostly outside of any individual country. Their leader is Inquisitor Lavellan. She’s giving the orders but there’s an entire branch of leaders within the Inquisition. That’s about where they lost me.”

               Aranea squinted at him. “We are definitely not on Eos, then. Suppose the sunlight’s enough proof of that.” She looked up, taking in the warm light. Even high in the snow-covered mountains the sun felt hot on her skin. They’d only been a couple months without it but it really did feel like an eternity. She wondered how much longer they could survive in the dark before Noctis got his kingly ass back to fix it. Areana twisted around the best she could to see where they were headed. The trailer they were on was two benches across from one another with sacks and a couple other people loaded onto it. A two large horses pulled the trailer on a narrow path heading further into the mountains. There was a small unit of soldiers and one other wagon travelling with them. She shivered a little finally feeling the icy wind through the sunlight. Gladio pulled one of the blankets from the pile she’d been laying on and held it out to her. “Thanks. So did they know anything about the mirror we came through?”

               Gladio grunted and shook his head. “Yeah but that all went way over my head. Ignis’ll probably have it all figured out though so we can get a dumbed down explanation from him.”

               Aranea rolled her eyes and checked her wound. “You said they used a different kind of magic to heal me? It wasn’t a potion?”

               Gladio shook his head. “No the ones that can use magic all have staves but channel it through their hands like Noct. Instead of pulling their magic through someone they all seem to be able to use it individually.”

               “And they don’t need flasks?”

               “Nope, they just wiggle their fingers and, ‘pft’, magic.” A woman sitting a couple feet away from Gladio let out a quiet smirk. “What, is that not how it works?” The woman’s eyes shifted towards Gladio and he grinned a little. Aranea wasn’t smiling. The woman gave her an uneasy feeling that the brute didn’t seem to notice.

               “Not quite, stranger.” Her voice was low and precise sending a shiver through Aranea. I was a good shiver and the commodore was torn between attraction and caution. The woman before her was, in fact, stunning but all of her instincts screamed warnings. “If that is what you wish to believe, however, I cannot stop you.” Gladio grinned a little more.

               “I probably wouldn’t get it anyways if you tried,” he replied with a shrug.

               “Oh, I do not doubt that,” her yellow eyes glinted in the sun. Gladio frowned, catching her insult but Aranea grinned.

               “Are you the only who healed me?” she finally cut in. The raven haired woman turned to her now.

               “I am.”

               “Then I owe you a thank you. It’s impressive work.”

               “You are very welcome. It is refreshing to meet another capable woman out here.” It was almost a flirt and Aranea couldn’t hold back a grin, despite the obvious warning signs. “I am Morrigan. This here is my son, Kieran.” She nodded towards the quiet kid next to her.

               “Aranea, that’s Gladio. He’s an idiot.” Gladio glared at her but didn’t bother replying. “Are you part of this inquisition then?”

               The woman smiled. “Occasionally. I was not planning on returning but I felt an interesting magic in the area and had to come see for myself. I was not expecting travelers from another world. That is most fascinating.”

               “I’m still not sure how we got here or how our friends did but I suppose it’s a nice little vacation from the complete darkness on our end.”

               Morrigan’s interests peaked and he leaned forward. “Complete darkness?”

               Gladio answered this time. “We’ve been without the sun for a couple months now thanks to some daemon possessed ass hole with a grudge.”

               Morrigan blinked twice. “Well, that sounds like an interesting tale. Best saved for another time, however. It seems we have arrived.”

               Aranea and Gladio both turned their attention to the path ahead as the cart rolled around a sharp corner. Skyhold was massive and nested on a high cliff with a long bridge leading into the entrance. “This… is impressive,” Gladio finally managed after taking it all in.

               Morrigan smiled. “Welcome to Skyhold.”

 

               In the darkened halls of the small MT facility roamed a man of no consequence. His long coat fluttering behind him as though his clothing held a life of their own. He made his way down the stairs with a purpose and paused, inspecting the mirror.

               “So this is where they kept the trash,” he commented to himself but spoke as though he were presenting it to someone. “I wonder if there is something here I could amuse myself with.” He made his way back up the stairs and a couple doors down before entering a new room. A large metal crate that looked close to a coffin sat alone against the far wall. The man grinned. “This will do.” He approached a control panel and pressed a couple of the buttons until the box came to life with a hiss. A lid lifted open slowly and steam poured from inside, having been sealed for several years at least. His grin widened. “You are still here. You failed your father once and he tucks you away in a corner to forget about you. How heartless. I suppose he couldn’t bring himself to exterminate you, though. That must say something about the man.” A girl lay inside the box, her naked form curled in on itself. Her hair was yellow, blonde and freckles dotted her pale skin. A thick cable ran in from the outside of the box and plugged into the back of her neck. He sighed and reached into the crate, taking a firm grip on a cable and gave it a hard tug. The girl took a deep, surprised breath and shot up, eyes wide and faintly glowing with a pale red light. “It has been a while, Owin.” She finally caught her breath and stared up at the man, working to recognize him.

               “Ch-Chancellor… Izunia?” she shivered. “O-Orders?”

               The Chancellor smiled at her and offered her a hand. She took it nervously and he helped her out of her little prison. “I believe your father made a mistake, casting you aside those twelve odd years ago.”

“F-father has new orders for me,” her voice was shaking but she kept it as even as she could, unable to hide the small tinge of hope.

“Indeed! He has asked I relay them to you as he is a very busy man.”

Owin nodded a little too eagerly. “He is very busy.”

“He has a very important mission for you, my dear.” Owin’s eyes narrowed. “How would you like to go hunting?”


	12. Day 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is longer! yay! Stuff happened and I started to have fun with it. We'll see where it goes. It's definitely well off the rails now!

Owin listened intently to the Chancellor’s instructions as she made her way around to the end of the crate and knelt down. “There are four individuals that recently broke into this facility and used an unauthorized piece of Imperial property. A teleporter… of sorts.” Owin started pulling clothing out from the storage compartment, dressing herself in a tighter, darker version of the imperial uniforms. She then moved to a small interface panel. “I need you to retrieve them.”  
“All of them?” she asked, reaching for a cable and plugging it into the back of her neck. Her eyes brightened dramatically as a surge of power rushed through her.  
“Yes, though, I only need a couple of them alive. Three men and one woman went through. Bring me back at least two of the men, lady’s choice.”  
Owin stared at him, expressionless. “I know I am not to question orders, sir, but I will need you to clarify.”  
Ardyn grinned. “You do not have to pretend with me, Owin. I am well aware of why you have been locked in a box for twenty years.” Her composure broke and her eyes widened slightly.  
“My correction took… twenty years?”  
“It seems your free spirit was not entirely what he was looking for in his Magitek troopers. Alas, it is never too late to win back his approval.”  
Her face hardened. He was right. She’d questioned orders, her purpose, asked one too many questions and he cast her aside. He wanted a soldier that was entirely compliant and had failed his first time. Failed with her. “My orders,” she clarified, “are to locate and apprehend the four traitors and return them to Gralea. Lethal force is acceptable but should not exceed the woman and more than one of the three men.” She looked up from the screen where she was running diagnostics on her mechanical parts and waited for Ardyn’s approval. He nodded once. “Very well. I am prepared if you will take me to the teleporter.”  
“Right this way.”  
Orders. Follow you orders. Do not question your orders. Do not question your superiors. Complete the mission. This is not your first one. Succeed and it won’t be your last. Father will be happy. Father will forgive you for failing the last mission. Do not get attached, do not get attached, do not ge—  
“Here we are.” Ardyn’s voice ripped her from her thoughts but her composure held and he didn’t notice the worry in her face.  
“This is a mirror,” she stated the obvious but cursed herself regardless. It might as well have been a question.  
“Astute of you. Tis your transport.” He snapped his fingers and a small flicker of purple smoke jumped from his hand and shot towards the frame. The glass came to life like water and Owin looked on in surprise. She almost asked Ardyn what it was but bit her tongue quickly before the first word made it out. No questions. You were not created to ask questions. You were created to follow orders. Owin waited next to the mirror for orders. She wanted to ask how it worked and if she just stepped through. No questions. Ardyn’s hand came out and a red flash of magic spit from both like something breaking through glass. Two beautifully crafted daggers appeared in his palms and he presented them to her with a proud smile as though he’d crafted them himself. She’d never seen him do something like that. There were rumors that the Chancellor had some mystical abilities but most were unfounded. That was impossible, of course. Only the Lucian royal line had magic. No questions. Ardyn frowned when she hadn’t taken the weapons yet and Owin realized her mistake. She’d been lost in her thoughts and took the daggers swiftly from his hands with a nod.  
“Thank you,” she barely whispered.  
“Now off you go. Just step through it like any other doorway. Shove one of those daggers through the glass on the other side when you are ready to return. Destroy the mirror when you arrive.” She nodded again and turned to face the moving glass, distorting her reflection in an odd way.  
I can do this. Make him proud. Make father proud. Follow orders. Do not get attached. I can do this. She took a breath, daggers ready, and stepped through the glass.

“Slowly, Prompto,” Ignis chided him and the blonde rolled his eyes. Vale hadn’t been wrong about the weak right leg. Every time he took a step he felt it buckle and nearly collapse under him. He’d nearly pulled Ignis over with him a couple times.  
“Sorry, I just… wanna get outside,” he replied but slowed a little. Ignis was helping him walk while he was guiding the advisor through the keep. “This place is insane, Iggy. I looks like an old castle. Like we’re in a video game.”  
Ignis grinned. “Sounds like it is right up your alley.”  
“Stairs up ahead.”  
“Take it slow and keep a hand on my shoulder,” Ignis instructed and reached for the railing, moving his foot forward until he located the first step and led Prompto down.  
“I should be the one in the lead,” the blonde commented.  
“Not in your condition.”  
Prompto rolled his eyes again but didn’t reply. He wasn’t wrong, after all. Once they were safely down the stairs Prompto moved back up next to Ignis, calling out abnormalities in the floor or doorways while describing the inside of the keep to him. “Door… uh… push to open?” Ignis reached his hand out and gave a firm push. Nothing. “I guess pull.” It was the advisor’s turn to roll his eye and located the handle. “They should really put a sign up.”  
“Hey!” a loud, booming voice echoed through the massive room they now stood in, making Prompto jump. “There they are!” He turned his attention to the source of the voice finding a massive man with a huge grin. He was tall and wide and… grey, with two big bull horns and an eyepatch.  
“Don’t stare,” Ignis reminded him and Prompto finally blinked.  
“I thought the big guy with horns was a weird dream,” Prompto whispered back.  
“The Iron Bull, judging by that welcome,” Ignis replied a little louder and smiled. Bull returned the smile and approached. He was even bigger up close.  
“Easy to pick me out of a crowd. Blind or not,” Bull replied and turned his attention to the small, shocked blonde.  
“The Iron Bull! But you can call me Bull. Everyone else does,” he sounded a little disappointed at the end. Prompto shook himself and reached out to take the man’s hand. His own hand disappeared in Bull’s fist and gave he gave him a firm shake.  
“Prompto,” he squeaked but found his voice again. “You carried me all the way here?”  
Bull laughed. “I did but don’t worry about it. You’re so small it was like carrying a nug.” Prompto had no idea what a nug was.  
“Well thanks… I appreciate it.”  
“Ah, our guests are up and about?” Another new voice joined the fray, this one more proper like Ignis but much flashier.  
“And that would be Dorian,” Ignis announced for Prompto’s sake. “Where you find one, you are likely to find the other.”  
“For now,” Dorian replied. He had darker skin and a mustache and looked human for all Prompto could tell. He wondered if he had a tail or something. He was wearing extravagant black and gold robes to match the personality. “Until Skyhold runs out of wine, at least. You must be Prompto!” The blonde nodded. “Well, you are much more handsome now that you aren’t nearly dead!” Prompto couldn’t find a reply so he laughed nervously.  
“He is still getting used to this place. I am sure it is much more overwhelming with sight,” Ignis cut in for the blonde.  
“I’m sure it is! Especially with this one,” Dorian nodded towards Bull. “You said you only have humans in your world. We have Qunari, Elves, Humans, Darkspawn…” Dorian trailed off watching Prompto’s eyes grow. “Are you alright?”  
The blonde finally smiled and nodded. “Dude, this is TOTALLY King’s Knight!” he breathed with a new excitement Ignis hadn’t heard in, what felt like, ages. Dorian’s eyebrow climbed but he didn’t bother asking for clarification. If they stopped at every strange word or phrase the conversations wouldn’t get anywhere.  
“Well, come along. We are taking you to the tavern to get some food,” Dorian announced.  
Bull grinned, watching Prompto’s eyes light up at the mention of food. “You must be hungry.”  
The blonde nodded but paused. “What… what do you eat?”  
“Nug balls and horse skin, why?” Bull answered with a straight face and Prompto tried to keep his and even as possible.  
Ignis waited only a moment in silence before speaking. “It was a joke, Prompto.” The look on blonde’s face ruined Bull and he exploded with laughter and landed a firm palm between Prompto’s shoulder blades. He nearly fell forward but was thankfully braced against Ignis to keep him upright.  
“This way,” Dorian sighed and seized the Qunari’s hand.  
“Oooo, assertive kadan. I like it,” Bull giggled. Yes, giggled. Which was actually a tad unnerving to most of them. Dorian rolled his eyes again. They made their way out of, what Prompto discovered to be a massive throne room, through a large set of doors to find themselves outside. Prompto paused to take in the sun. It burned against his face through the mountain chill and he didn’t want to move. When he finally turned away he looked out over what they’d come outside to. Skyhold was basically a small town with merchants, a blacksmith, stables and a tavern all within tall stone walls. Prompto was beside himself, feeling more and more like he was in a video game and wishing Noct was here to see it. They made their way down a couple short flights of stairs where, this time, Bull helped Prompto and Dorian guided Ignis to make things easier on both of them. Across the yard was the small tavern loud with songs and plenty of voices. Dorian explained to Ignis that it was three stories and how a couple of their close friends lived there. One of which greeted them on the way in. Prompto noticed she had pointed ears like the Inquisitor so she must have been an Elf as well.  
“’Ey you two!” she called cheerfully.  
“Sera!” Bull greeted her with a cheery tone then leaned in to whisper to Prompto. “Watch me freak her out.” He stood back up straight. “You gotta come meet these guys!” She hopped over with a mug of something in her hand and waited. “These two came through that eluvian we found. They’re from another world!”  
Her smiled vanished and her face went blank. She stood there still for a minute then frowned. “No, don’t talk to me again ‘till you start makin’ since, yeah?” She spun on her heel and make a run for the stairs. “I’ll be in my room until the crazies leave!” And she was gone. Bull started laughing again.  
“Yeah, she’s not one for weird,” he spoke to Prompto again.  
“Things she doesn’t understand scare her like magic and spirits and raisins,” a voice in sudden close proximity behind Prompto made him yelp and jump.  
“Then there’s Cole. The literal definition of weird,” Dorian introduced. Prompto turned to the stranger that looked to be close to his own age.  
“Hey there Cole, would you like to join us?” Bull asked a little stiffer than how he’d been speaking.  
“Yes,” Cole replied simply and joined them at a long table. A woman quietly brought them all large pints of beer and bowls of a hardy soup she had just made. They ate in silence for a short while, Cole watching Ignis intently and with immense curiosity. Eventually he leaned in close to Ignis with sad expression. “You can’t see but you can see everything.”  
Ignis’s head tilted slightly. “An interesting thought.”  
“I used to hear everything but now only some things.”  
“What sorts of things did you used to hear, Cole?” Ignis asked curiously while the others watched in fascination.  
“A man in a drowned city to save his world. A daemon, a ring, a choice and his world burns away.”  
There was a long silence and Prompto saw the look on Ignis’ face. He was clearly shaken, upset but not angry. “That… is quite a talent you have, Cole.”  
“The one with the dark hair.”  
“Yes, he means the world to me.”  
“You lost him but you know where he is. Why can’t you find him?”  
“He’s not ready to be found. When he is, he will come back,” Ignis answered quietly.  
Cole nodded. “I see. He will come back, but it will be a very long time.”  
Ignis’ shoulders fell a little. “I shall wait for as long as I must.”  
“You’re a good mom.” Prompto, Bull and Dorian nearly spit their drinks in unison.  
“Why did you call me a mother?” Ignis asked the boy curiously, his head unconsciously turning a little in Prompto’s direction.  
“I heard it from that one,” Cole replied pointing at the blonde.  
Prompto’s eyes widened. “What? I never called him ‘mom’!”  
Cole tilted his head. “Not out loud.” Prompto couldn’t think of a reply and thanked the six when Ignis interrupted, disregarding the statement. He wasn’t stupid and was well aware of the jokes Prompto and the prince shared together.  
“Cole, if you don’t mind me asking, are your magical abilities strictly telepathic?”  
“I don’t have magic.” Ignis’ eyebrow climbed a little and Dorian stepped in to clarify.  
“Cole looks like a human but he’s not. He is a spirit that chose to cross over into our world and stay taking on the form of a human he once tried to help.”  
“He died,” Cole added.  
“That is fascinating,” Ignis commented.  
“A spirit like a ghost?” Prompto asked, not entirely understanding.  
“Closer to a demon, lacking the corruption, of course,” Dorian corrected. Ignis and Prompto both looked surprised.  
“The demons in your world are quite different from ours,” Ignis commented. “I should like to learn more about them while we are here.”  
“Our demon expert split but if you can make sense of Cole here, he can help,” Bull replied. Before they could continue, Vale interrupted. She entered the tavern with a wide smile and a terrifying man trailing behind her. He was her height but with dark skin, white hair and white tattoos covering his body. Prompto felt he looked a little more like a villain than a good guy but if he was with Vale, he couldn’t have been that bad.  
“There you all are!” She called from the door. “I’ve got some new additions that just showed up on my doorstep. Thought you might know them!” She announced and Prompto’s eyes went wide, almost breaking into tears when he saw Gladio and Aranea come in through the door. And Gladio looked pissed.


	13. Day 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> loooooong day, short chapter

In truth there were several emotions that chased one another across Gladio’s face. Confusion, relief, anger. Anger was the most unsettling but Ignis couldn’t see any of them. In fact he had no idea why everyone had gone quiet or who Vale had just announced. He wasn’t entirely sure who she was addressing. Not until he heard him speak. Ignis heard his name choked out of the man a few feet behind him and angled himself around.

“Gladio?” he didn’t bother hiding the surprise in his voice. “How did you fin—”

“I brought him,” Ignis’ poise fell apart at Aranea’s voice. He stood up too quickly in a fluster, nearly losing his footing and knocking something over on the table in the process. Dorian made a sound in protest and seized Ignis’ elbow to steady the man before he threw the entire table over.

“Aranea,” he choked her name, finally regaining his balance. He nearly lost his footing again when heavy footsteps barreled towards him and a large hand gripped the front of his shirt and held him in place.

“What the hell were you thinking?” Gladio roared at him and the tavern went quiet.

“What?” was all Ignis could reply with. It wasn’t as articulate as it could have been but he was more focused on staying upright than being articulate.

“In what universe did you think it was a good idea to take Promtpo to Gralea with no back up? You’re fucking blind Iggy and the kid’s in no condition to fight.” Prompto’s shoulders slumped and his head dropped to focus on the table. Ignis couldn’t see it but he didn’t need to. “We thought you were fucking dead. We looked all over that place expecting to find your corpses around every goddamn corner and we find you here having a party in a bar!”

“Gladio,” Ignis tried in a calm tone and reached up to the man’s hands, hoping he would loosen the grip on his shirt. “I know you must be angry.”

“Angry?” Gladio actually sounded angrier at that assumption. He lost his temper at that and shoved Ignis away. The man lost his footing at that point, falling back onto the bench, his back landing painfully against the edge of the table. “I was fucking terrified, Ignis. I thought I’d messed up again and lost you guys too.” Gladio took a step forward and Ignis braced himself, unsure of what the man would do but Gladio spun around and he listened to him storm off. At that point the conversations nearby started up again and the music slowly regained volume. Ignis leaned forward, rubbing his hands over his face and Prompto slid closer.

“He just needs to cool off. You know Gladio and his temper,” Prompto attempted to comfort Ignis, his hand touching his shoulder lightly. Ignis sat up straight, his hand lingering over the scar on the left side. Lighter footsteps moved in front of him and there was a muffled grunt as Aranea squatted, her hands resting on each of his knees to let him know she was there. She reached one hand, lightly touching his side where the bandage peaked from the base of his shirt.

“Are you two alright?” she finally asked. Ignis relaxed at her touch, finding more comfort in it than he expected.

“We had a… close call,” he replied, his head turning slightly towards Prompto. “But we made it out thanks to these fine people.”

Vale laughed, walking over to take a seat beside Prompto. “I don’t know of any fine people here, but we are certainly happy to help if we can.” Ignis felt Prompto go rigid next to him when the Inquisitor took a seat. Then he laughed nervously. It was the laugh he used to do when Cindy was around. He must have taken a liking to Vale. At least she’d helped his depression, at least for a short while.

“What about you? I’m surprised Gladio made it here in once piece. Didn’t think you’d stand much for that attitude.” Ignis dropped his hand, landing on Aranea’s. He didn’t move it but felt her muscles tense and flex under his touch as though she were deciding if it should stay or move. She let it stay and her hand relaxed. Ignis hid a smile.

“He would have got more than just a piece of my mind several times on the trip over if I hadn’t of been unconscious for half and had a hole in my stomach the other.” Ignis’ head perked up with concern. “Nothing severe. Walked straight into an MT… literally,” she groaned.

“Well I am glad you found us. You were very lucky. This world is massive and it should have been much harder for us to find one another than it was.”

“I’ll always find you, Ignis,” she said and realized how sappy it sounded. “I mean… I can track down pretty much anyone so you can’t hide for long.” She attempted the correction but Prompto’s jaw was on the ground. Vale reached over and closed his mouth for him making Prompto jump at her contact.

“Of course,” Ignis replied.

“So,” Bull bellowed a little too loud and stood up. “I’m gonna go check on that friend of yours. Seems like he could use some stress relief and I’m inclined to help.” Dorian cleared his throat and glared at Bull. “Not that kind of stress relief, kadan.” Dorian mouthed a little “oh” and stood with him. “Oh, did you want to spar?”

Dorian laughed a little too sarcastically and shook his head. “Oh no. But if two large men with shimmering muscles are going to spar, you better believe I am going to watch.” Bull nodded in agreement and took him along.

“Well since we aren’t going home right away, sparring does sound nice and I need to stretch after being on that cart for so long,” Aranea pushed herself up from Ignis’ knee, her hand sliding out from under his leaving him feeling a little disappointed.

“Are you sure you are well enough?” Ignis asked with a hint of concern.

“Eh, we’ll start slow,” she looked over at the angry one next to Vale that Prompto had been so afraid of. “You look like a fun one to spar with. Wanna have a go?” He hummed once and she took that as a yes. “I’m Aranea but you know that. Didn’t catch your name.”

“Fenris,” he replied once.

“Try to be nice, Fenris. Remember, even with all the mages, you’re safe here,” Vale reassured him and he scoffed, shooting a quick glare towards Cole.

“Sure,” he replied and followed Aranea outside.

“How was your soup?” Vale turned to Prompto, catching him off guard.

“Oh… yeah, it was good!”

“Good to hear! How does your wound feel?”

“Itchy and burns a little if I move too much, but its fine. Just annoyed with the bum leg.”

Vale frowned. “Sorry about that. I just had an old friend show up with the caravan. Her magic is worlds more impressive than mine and she might be able to help with it.”

 “Oh really? That’d be cool!”

“Cool?” Vale asked, wondering what temperature had to do with healing.

“Oh, uh, it means great!” he laughed again and Ignis felt his hand come up to rub the back of his head. It was his nervous tick.

“I should like some fresh air,” Ignis announced and turned to his other side. “Cole, are you still with us?”

“I cannot disappear anymore,” he replied and Ignis sighed.

“That would be a yes. Would you mind guiding me out to where the soldiers spar?”

Cole hopped up and stood next to Ignis, placing a hand on his elbow and they two walked out together leaving Prompto and Vale in the tavern.


	14. Day 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had to go back a chapter and fix the timeline. Owin was in stasis for 20 years, not 12. Don't ask me where I got that number...  
> Sorry about another short chapter. Hard to find time to write when real life gets in the way! but I will hit my 30,000 word goal before the end of the month!! Thank you all for such kind comments on this wonderfully horrific piece of fan filth. I do appreciate it!

Gladio was pacing around a group of wooden practice dummies wishing he could summon his sword to cut a few down. Heavy footsteps drew his attention as the gigantic guy with bull horns that had been sitting at the table came around the corner. The flashier one that had been sitting next to him followed quietly. Gladio stood still, arms crossed, waiting to see what he would do. The guy smiled at him.

“Come with me,” he said and Gladio’s eyebrow came up. “Look, I’m not afraid of much but demons scare the piss out of me and I’m not ashamed to admit it. After a particularly stressful encounter I have one of my boys beat me with a stick,” Gladio’s brow climbed higher now and he decided to follow where the man was headed, curiosity getting the better of him. He hoped this man wasn’t going to beat him with a stick but he hoped he was going where he thought he might. “That doesn’t seem like you cup of tea so,” he opened a door near the training dummies and a hot wind blew out from the inside. “How about sparing?” Gladio peaked inside to find a large room with a stone furnace and weapons lining the walls.

“Yeah, okay,” Gladio grunted and followed him inside.

“So, you an ax man? Or a sword and shield?” he asked and Gladio raised an eyebrow again. “With a build like that it’s something heavy, that much is obvious.”

“Sword,” Gladio replied, “And a shield when I need it.” The man took a sword from the wall and handed it to Gladio. He grunted once. “Bigger.” The man grinned, returned the sword and picked one of the great swords instead.

“You use a great sword and a shield?” He sounded impressed.

“Iggy didn’t tell you? We can summon our weapons as needed as long as our prince is nearby.”

“I see. So he carries all of your weapons for you?”

“In a manner of speaking. It more magical.”

The ox man’s nose turned up. “Magic, not a fan. Sounds like your prince is more of a squire to me if he carries all of your shit.”

Gladio couldn’t hold back a laugh. “Yeah, something like that. Didn’t catch your name.”

“The Iron Bull.”

“Sounds like a bar, not a name.”

Bull grinned. “I know right?”

Gladio stared at him a moment before returning to the sparing ring outside. Bull heaved a large sword of his own over his shoulder and walked outside with a big grin. Dorian stood nearby watching as the two swung their massive swords faster and more precisely than seemingly possible. They growled and raged, ducking and parrying heavy swings that made a thunderous clatter when they collided. Ignis could hear them from the other side of the courtyard but he focused on the sounds from another fight.

Cole was doing well describing the fight when he was actually going over the movement and not what they were thinking. Fenris swung his long sword with a fury but was quietly holding back, knowing she was injured. Aranea did not hold back, however and Fenris had to quickly compensate before he got himself killed in a sparring match. The woman before was fearsome and savage in her attacks, wielding her lance faster than he’d ever seen someone move before. And she could jump. Not a couple feet but several yards into the air and would ride the lance down like a hawk dive-bombing its prey. The end would burrow into the dirt and Fenris would try to take advantage but she’d spin around, the lance ripping from the earth and swinging with her just in time to catch his sword in a parry. A thick cloud of dirt blew up around them from the force and Ignis started to cough. Fenris, now furious from being beat rushed her, when she glanced in Ignis’ direction, now aware of his presence. Fenris’ sword swung upwards and Aranea caught the movement, leaning back under the blade and bringing her lance up to counter. She stopped it an inch from Fenris’ throat before letting out a painful gasp and dropping to one knee.

“Okay, I overdid it,” she grunted. Ignis was against the sparring ring’s railing in an instant, trying to figure out how to get passed it when Fenris relaxed his stance, sheathed his sword and held out a hand for her. She took it gratefully and he pulled her up, getting another groan in response. Ignis waited patiently as the two walked towards him. “Thanks for the stretch, Fenris. I’ll be sore for a week.”

Fenris almost smiled which was about as close as he came to smiling. “You have an impressive ability, Aranea. I should like to spar again once you’re rested and if you’re still around.”

She laughed. “Oh, I’m good for a while unless I’ve got a daemon to kill but I’ll keep your offer in mind!” Aranea ducked under the ring’s fence and found herself pressed against Ignis.

“Oh, forgive me,” Ignis blushed hard and tried his very best to hide it while he attempted an unsteady step backwards.

“What’d you think?” Aranea asked with a grin but frowned when she reminded herself he couldn’t see it.

“Sounded quite exciting. Cole even described most of it for me before he wondered off.”

“Yeah, I’m regretting that last dodge though. My side is on fire right now.” She winced and leaned forward a little, fighting through the growing pain.

“Come on, we should talk to one of their healers to look you over.” Ignis reached out carefully for her arm and let his hand rest on her elbow.

“Yeah sure, Iggy, lead the wa…” she stopped herself a moment too late and it was her turn to blush. “Shit…”

Ignis smiled. “How about you lead the way and I shall be sure to keep you upright on our walk there.”

Aranea smiled again. “Deal,” she replied and Ignis’ arm snaked across her back, forcing her arm over his shoulders. She paused for longer than she meant, taking a moment to focus on the touch.

“When you’re ready,” he said, pulling her from the momentary trance. She shook herself and started to walk.


	15. Day 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for such a puny chapter. I went into to work early, got out late and this is all my head could produce.

When Owin came out of the mirror she landed in a crouch, ready for an ambush. There were a handful of men in armor nearby, swords drawn upon her arrival.

“Another one?” she heard one of the men comment quietly.

“What do we do?” a different one asked. Owin waited a moment, her uniform’s hood drawn low, her mask pulled over her face.

“Take her to Skyhold like the others.” Owin let out a small grin. That was all she needed to know. Her head came up, red eyes shining in the low light of the forest.

“Demon! It’s a demon!” One of the men called out. The words stung.

“I’m no daemon. I’m a soldier. I am a Magitek and I will make my father proud,” she growled, more for herself than any of them. They were charging her now and she grinned, launching forward in a spin, her daggers reflecting the firelight like flashes of lightning. Her feet touched down again behind the group, skidding to a halt and the soldiers behind her dropped to the ground. Owin paused, checking to make sure her Magitek parts were operating properly. The attack felt smooth enough but a little off balance. She ran a quick diagnostic, the computer chip attached to the back her head feeding the information through her vision. Her right arm was operating at 100%. Eyes: 100%. Right leg: 100%. Left leg: 98.9%. That was the problem then. She focused, moving power from the right leg into the left to balance the levels. She took a couple test steps, ignoring the other soldiers approaching, couched a couple times and nodded in approval. She’d been in stasis for twenty years. This would be a good stretch.

Her eyes shot forward at the approaching men. “Where is Skyold?” she asked in a commanding tone. The men looked at her confused, saw their fallen comrades and charged her in anger. Owin rolled her eyes and proceeded to dispatch them one at a time. The last one left she wounded instead of killed. She seized him by the collar of his armor and hauled him up easily with her mechanical arm. Her Magitek limbs had a substantial amount of strength but she had to be careful. Though her stamina had been genetically altered to compensate, she was still capable of wearing herself out.

“Even if you get there, you cannot infiltrate it on your own,” the man struggled.

“I do not want any of your men. I only want mine,” she replied with a fierce hiss.

“North in the mountains… but don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Owin dropped the man where he was and continued on without a second glance behind her. When she broke out of the forest she found the sun hanging low in the sky and massive mountains looming beside her. She started a scan of the area first, before moving forward. There was a larger group of unidentified life signs moving in a group a couple miles north of her but something else caught her attention first. There was a faint Magitek signal emanating a mile to the west and she decided to sprint for that first. If a fellow soldier had made it through before her it could be helpful. It didn’t take her long to sprint towards the signal


	16. Day 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought this was going to be a shorter one and then it just kinda spilled out so yay! Also can't wait to see where this is going cause at this point it's mostly improve! haha A fun way to write when your just messing around!

She found herself at a small cluster of large boulders overgrown in the trees. She could hear the heavy, mechanical footsteps before she saw the unit ambling around in circles as though it were lost. Why was it doing that? Was the soldier in shock? She approached it, noticing the unnatural height. Father must have moved forward with genetically altering his clones to get a specimen this size. The soldier stopped when it noticed her, his dim red eyes staring at her through the trees.

“Stand down, soldier. What is your designation?” she called out to it. The thing didn’t move for a long while then suddenly shot up straight and at attention. “Alright, so you recognize my rank. That’s good. Can you speak?” She was standing in front of it now, inspecting the soldier. There was something off about this one though. It had a different version of the Magitek armor and an altered version of her own mask. She reached up slowly to remove the mask and see who it was in the armor. She let out a gasp and dropped the facemask, taking a couple of stunned steps backwards. “What… what did he do?” she stared at the mechanical face staring blankly back at her. It was emanating the same demonic energy that powered her own enhancements but this thing ceased to be human. There was nothing left.

“It is clear I left too much humanity in this one. I thought intelligence would be important in a soldier but I was mistaken. I suppose drones will have to do. At least they will follow orders.” Her father’s words echoed painfully through her head. He said that to her while she had been strapped to a cold, steel table before he put her in stasis and tucked her away in a dark corner to be forgotten. She growled at her own stupidity.  She was his first, his most powerful and she would remind him of that at any cost.

“Follow,” she growled at the trooper and started back towards the large group of life signs she’d picked up earlier. The trooper obeyed and marched behind her, its ax dragging along behind it.

 

“You’re gonna to have to repeat that for me,” Gladio said with a bit of smugness in his tone.

Ignis sighed. “I said, you were right. Going to Gralea was not one of my better ideas but… I didn’t know what else to do.”

“He was just tryin to help me,” Prompto added quietly. They all sat at the large table in the throne room. The blonde sat on one end with Gladio at the head of the table. Ignis and Aranea sat across from Prompto, no one the wiser to her slim hand resting on Ignis’ thigh. He found an immense amount of comfort in the small gesture.

“And none of this would have happened if I had answered my damn phone,” Gladio grunted.

“Then it’s settled. It’s everyone’s fault,” Aranea announced to the table to break the awkward silence. “Can we get back home now? As much as I’m enjoying this little getaway, we have people on the other side that need us more.” There was another silence. She was right after all. What if Noctis came back while they were gone?

“I believe the commodore is correct,” Ignis replied. “I shall have a word with…” a large group of soldiers marched into the throne room led by a heavily armored blonde man and the Inquisitor. She looked sad. Prompto was the first to his feet, a bit unsteady, concerned with her expression. She could barely make eye contact with him.

“We need you four to come with us,” the blonde man spoke in a commanding tone laced with anger.

“Where are we going?” Gladio asked, matching the man’s tone.

Vale sighed and stepped forward. “Someone else came through the eluvian today. We just received word. They called her a demonic soldier and she cleared out the entire camp of my men.”

“We received word from the only survivor. My best captain and even he is barely clinging to life,” the man growled. “We are taking you into custody.”

Gladio started to protest but Ignis stepped in, making his way carefully around the table to stand before the Inquisitor. The blonde soldier tensed a moment. “We will do as you ask, Inquisitor,” he replied to the surprise of everyone in the room. He turned his head towards the other three. “We are strangers here and though we’ve given no indication of hostile intent, this new addition has. As their leader, the Inquisitor has no other choice but to take the necessary precautions,” Ignis explained. None of them liked it but they nodded in agreement. He was the strategist after all, of course he’d worked it out immediately. Vale stared at him in surprise.

“Thank you for understanding Ignis. Hopefully we can clear this up quickly. I should like to have a word with you first.” She turned to the man next to her. “Take the other three but please treat them with respect. We have no proof of their guilt yet and until we do, they are innocent.” The man nodded and moved forward to escort the three away. Prompto watched her over his shoulder, hurt spread over his face and Vale turned away. “This way, Ignis,” she said quietly and her hand touched his elbow gently to guide him along. He heard two small doors, walked a long hall and then a pair of large doors creak open before Vale stopped him. He felt an oddly shaped table before him and left his hands there to steady himself. He was nervous. Not only concerning this new woman through the mirror but what that would mean for their journey home. He couldn’t very well leave this for them to take care of. It was from their world so they should help them handle it. It was quiet in the room before Vale’s voice nearly made him start.

“Ignis, in front of you is Commander Cullen, he is in charge of the army, on his right is Josephine Montilyet, she handles all diplomatic relations and on the left is my spymaster, Leliana.”

“I am Ignis Scientia, advisor to the crown prince of Lucis… in my world, of course,” he replied and bowed formally. “I was sorry to hear about your men, Commander Cullen. I know suspicion falls on us but I would like to offer any assistance we can to find and apprehend this criminal as she is from our world and as such, our responsibility.”

There was a short silence and he heard a shift in heavy armor. He couldn’t tell what sort of shift it was, however. “We appreciate your offer, Ignis. You must understand what this looks like to us.” A woman with an elegant accent answer. The one on the far left. Leliana the spymaster. She would be the most valuable at the table as she would be the first to discover he was not lying.

“The first conclusion I would draw in your position,” Ignis answered, “would be that the first two were spies, using an injury to gain the sympathy and trust of your highest ranks. The second two back up, using the trust of the first to easily infiltrate. The last and most powerful would easily take over the keep with four already on the inside, taking out the most senior of the Inquisition ranks and seizing control.”

Another pause and he knew he was right. He was a strategist and no fool. “That… is unsettling,” the other woman, Josephine, whispered.

Ignis smiled. “Indeed, if that were the case. That, however, was never our plan and we unfortunately have no idea who the last person through the mirror was.”

Leliana spoke again, more trust in her voice now. She knew he wasn’t lying but the others were still unsure. Maybe not Vale but that was only half of the senior ranks. “The woman was described as petite, inhumanly fast and had glowing red eyes. She wielded two, rather large and intricate daggers. She was wearing all black with a hood drawn, and unfamiliar crest on the uniform. She also wore a mask that covered half her face but carved to look like a human face. They said it looked green.” Ignis took in a sharp breath, eyes widening. That couldn’t be possible. “By your reaction that sounds familiar?”

“N-No, not her specifically but the green mask is similar to the ones our enemies wear. They are called Magitek troopers, inhuman soldiers powered by daemons. They are very powerful but their masks cover their entire faces. Also, they’re machines, not humans… anymore. They are also programmed to follow orders, with no one to command them they go wild. I can’t imagine one with enough intelligence to activate the mirror and come through on its own. Unless…” It couldn’t be.

“Ignis?” Vale asked, seeing the man visually shaken by the idea. Her hand lightly touched his shoulder and he jumped.

“Forgive me. There is a very evil man we are trying to rid our world of and… well he could have sent this woman through. I am still unsure what she is, though. She almost sounds like a Magitek trooper but not quite.”

“All she asked was where Skyhold was. When Rylen answered she let him live,” Commander Cullen added and Ignis perked up again.

“She spoke?”

“Yes.”

“I have never heard of an MT speaking before. I am afraid I can’t help you with any information about her. She’s as a mystery to me as you. If you decide, our offer of aid is still on the table. I imagine you will want to talk things over so if someone would escort me to the cell, I shall leave you to it.”

Vale sighed but Ignis couldn’t see the pleading glances she gave the other three. Cullen frowned but it wasn’t as stubborn. Josephine nodded as well as Leliana. “Ignis,” Vale finally spoke, “Mind telling us what happened to your sight?”

Ignis raised an eyebrow and replied almost instantly. “Small sacrifice for the greater battle.”

Cullen let out a small laugh but it wasn’t directed at Ignis. “Now you sound like our Inquisitor. That is what she says about her arm.”

“Well she is a brave and admirable woman,” Ignis replied.

Vale laughed. “I wouldn’t say brave, stupid and wrong place and the wrong time, more like. I’ll have the men release your friends. I don’t think we have anything to worry about and will take you up on that offer of help. Then, we will get you home safely.” Vale reached out and took his hand. “Sorry about this.”

“No need to apologize. I would have done the same in your position. We appreciate the trust and the help, Vale.”

“I should like to know more about the daemons in your world, if you would be willing,’ Leliana added from behind him and he nodded.

“Of course. I would be fascinated to learn of yours as well.”

“While you to do that,” Cullen added. “I will gather a small battalion and we can set out on your word Inquisitor.”

Vale smiled and nodded. “Let’s get ready for a hunt then.”


	17. Day 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all my timeline is all messed up thanks to Comrades releasing and giving us a definite timeline as to when the sun disappears but whatever lol Secondly, *heavy breathing* Never in my gaming days would I have thought of a ship like this but I'm rolling with it haha

Prompto was pacing the cell, a chill wind blowing in through the missing wall that had crumbled away ages ago. No one had bothered fixing it. The rest of the prison was stable, he hoped. Prompto was limping now, more than pacing and Gladio sighed standing to join the blonde.

“Come on, Prom. Sit down before you fall down,” he said but it was in a kinder tone. The blonde glanced up at him with wide, blue eyes that Gladio thought looked like a sad pathetic puppy. His hand came up to rest on Prompto’s shoulder and steered him towards the back wall. He helped him sit which was met with a handful of sore grunts.. “Lemme see.” Gladio was already lifting the shirt he’d been loaned since his had been shredded. The larger man sucked in a breath seeing the jagged pink scar running from his navel nearly to his back. He grinned a little. “Shit, Prompto, that’s more impressive than mine.” Prompto grinned a little at the compliment. He’d always admired Gladio and his strength, wishing one day he could be someone like that. “You turned out to be a better shield than me.”

Prompto snorted. “Hardly.” He looked down at his hands, unconsciously tangling his fingers together.

“You saved Iggy, didn’t you? Took the hit for him?” The big man shrank down a little to look Prompto in the eyes. The blonde nodded once sharply. “That’s the definition of a shield. Noct would be really proud of you. Hell I am, if it means anything.”

Those sad blue eyes shot up at Gladio but this time there was a sparkle, almost tears. He managed a smile at the big guy. “Yeah, it means everything.”

Gladio frowned a moment but his face softened. “Don’t go getting sappy on me. Save that shit for Ignis,” he warned. Prompto nodded again quickly and wiped his eyes before anything else leaked out of them. He turned his attention to Aranea for a moment who had not moved from her position next to the bars since they’d arrived. She stared out of the cell, quietly waiting. Prompto assumed for freedom or for Ignis.

The blonde leaned in closer to Gladio and whispered. “So, what’s up with Iggy and Aranea?”

Gladio’s grin widened. “You noticed too? Neither one will tell me anything.”

“I can hear you,” Aranea snapped from her corner and glared in their direction. Prompto pushed a little closer into the larger with a fearful expression.

Gladio just huffed at her. “Well?”

She rolled her eyes, knowing he wouldn’t let it go. “I’m interested, sure but there’s nothing… going on.” Both gave her a skeptical look. “Not really, not until we got here, actually. Lots of pining gazes and small touches. Never really had time to pursue it what with the daemon invasion and all that.” Everything she said was laced with sarcasm but that was just Aranea. What she said was true.

“I think it’s a good idea to pursue that,” Prompto noted and Aranea managed a smile.

“Yeah, this is perfect prison talk,” she groaned. A loud creak in the door pulled their attention to someone entering the prison. Prompto struggled to his feet as quick as he could when he saw Vale approach. She had a regretful smile which made him nervous but hopeful.

“I hope you can forgive me for this. It was only a precaution and I truly believed you weren’t involved. I had to act as their leader, however, and not a friend.”

Prompto shook his head. “Of course we understand. How did your talk with Iggy go?”

Vale opened their cell, holding out her arm for the blonde to steady himself on. “Enlightening. You are very lucky to have such a sensible man as your advisor,” she replied, leading them back into the keep. “He shed light on what we could be dealing with and offered help in finding the culprit and apprehending her… or it.”

“What did he say about her?” Gladio asked from behind the two.

“A lot of words and titles I did not understand but the word Magitek came up quite a bit.” Prompto sucked in a sharp breath. “That bad, huh?” She glanced over at him with a worried expression. Prompto made an effort to avoid eye contact, making a quick glance at the leather straps still covering his code print. Even though his friends knew, it still made him uncomfortable thinking about where he’d come from. Vale noticed his silence but let it go. “We are going to move out with a small group to find her. Will you be well enough to travel with us? I don’t want to leave you here alone, especially now that Morrigan is back.” Her voice was humorous but he didn’t get the joke. Aranea and Gladio did to an extent.

“I should be fine. My strength’s comin back and even though my leg’s still a little off doesn’t mean I won’t be able to keep up.”

“We won’t leave until morning so I’ll be sure to get in another healing session with you tonight to help with that,” she replied and Gladio snorted behind them. Prompto’s face went red as a tomato and Vale rolled her eyes. “Fenedhis, you’re as bad as Bull.”

“Where is Ignis?” Aranea asked, unamused by the conversation.

“Speaking with Leliana, our spymaster. You may join them. If you go into the last door on the left before you leave the keep and all the way up the stairs.” Aranea nodded before leaving them, walking quickly to where she was instructed.

“I’m going to go get in on another sparring match with Bull. We’ve got a bet going and I plan to win,” Gladio said and was already headed towards the exit as he called back, “You two go get in your private ‘healing’ session.” His air quotes emphasized the sarcasm and Prompto turned a darker shade of red. Vale laughed a little, letting her eyes roll before leading Prompto along towards a door beside the throne.

“W-Where are we going?” he asked, nearly choking on the words. Vale grinned.

“My room. It’ll take a little time for me to work on your side since my healing magic is less than suitable. But trust me, better my healing magic than Morrigan. She’ll scare the shit out of you most likely.” The blonde laughed nervously as the Inquisitor led him slowly up a few flights of stairs until they entered a large room with several open doors leading out onto a wide balcony. Prompto stared in awe a moment, taking in the view. “Not bad right?” The sky was crystal clear and packed full of bright stars illuminating the keep in a soft, silver light.

“Definitely ended up with the best room in the castle,” he laughed and felt a little tug at his arm, pulling him away from the balcony.

“Onto the bed,” she instructed only making Prompto more nervous.

“Relax, I’m not going to turn you into a nug,” she joked.

Prompto did as she asked as he replied. “That’s the second time I’ve heard that word. What’s a nug?”

Vale looked surprised as she climbed onto the bed, sitting cross legged next to his midsection. “You don’t have nugs? Oh, you are missing out. They are the cutest!”

The blonde perked up at her answer trying to stay relaxed as he lay on the pillow and she carefully slid his shirt up to reveal the fresh scar. “Sounds like something I’d like, if they’re as cute as you…” he almost stopped there but caught himself “say they are,” he finished quickly. Vale grinned and pretended not to notice. “We have these giant birds in our world. They’re really smart and we can ride them around. They come in all sorts of colors. We call them Chocobos. They’re my favorite animal.” Prompto explained enthusiastically but went rigid and silent when Vale’s hand came down gently just below the scar.

“Oh sorry, cold hands… hand” Vale corrected herself but that wasn’t why Prompto went still and they both knew it. “Those sound wonderfully adorable. You should see some of the mounts in my collection. I wouldn’t call my Dracolisks cute, but they are something… unique.”

Prompto was going to reply but couldn’t quite clear his head enough to find the words. All his attention was on her hand resting just above his hip. Vale didn’t mind the silence at that point as all her focus went into the healing spell. Small green tendrils licked the surface of his skin, warming the muscles and relieving the soreness. He finally relaxed, realizing how sore he’d actually been as it melted away.. His eyes started to close after a few moments but snapped open with a painful flinch when she suddenly pressed into the scar. Vale corrected herself quickly but swayed.

“Oh, sorry,” she whispered.

“Are you alright?” Prompto asked, sitting up and taking her shoulders between his hands to steady her.

She gave him a nod and a smile. “It is much more difficult to fix things than it is to destroy them.”

“Well take it easy. You have to be able to walk tomorrow too, you know.” Vale let out a breathy laugh and they were both suddenly very aware of her hand still on his stomach. She stared at Prompto, hand shifting to trace his arm towards the leather bands. She caught a glimpse of the tattoo and her finger slid carefully to push the bands out of the way.

“What’s this?” she asked, staring at the strange black lines on his wrist.

Prompto pulled away a little too quickly and shoved the leather straps back in place. “N-Nothing. Bad memories.”

Vale frowned and took his hand again, her movements slow and coaxing. Prompto let out a shaky breath. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know,” she whispered.

“No, no, it’s… it’s okay. You couldn’t have known. It’s just… I’ve got a messed up past that sucks to think about. In fact the guys only just recently found out shortly after I found out more details than I ever really wanted to know.”

“Is it something you would like to talk about?”

Prompto’s hand reached up in an unexpected move and touched the side of her face, wrapping around to let his fingers tangle in her hair. “Kinda… don’t want to talk tonight?” It was somewhere between a question and a comment and Vale smiled again understanding his meaning. Neither one of them came down from her room that night and nearly everyone in the keep noticed.


	18. Day 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am an awkward potato and don't trust myself to write a detailed saucy scene that sounds good. so you'll have to use your imagination like in a PG-13 movie when it cuts off right before the good stuff. >.<

When Leliana took Ignis up several flights of stairs it was hard for him to make out much aside from the assault of squawking birds. “Are we in an aviary of some kind?”

Leliana let out a short laugh. “What gives you that idea?” Ignis smiled and Leliana moved him towards a chair. “They are my messengers. You get used to the noise.”

“Ah, so that is how you receive word from those out in the field?”

“It is. I spend most of my time up here.”

“As spymaster you must be quite the strategist.”

“I can be when it is needed. You are quite talented yourself. Wish more of mine were like you.”

Ignis grinned. ‘Thank you for the compliment. Now, you had questions about my world was it?”

“More than I have time for, I’m afraid. But I would like to know the broader facts. You mentioned your world has no sun?”

“It does, but it has been gone for a couple months now. The daemons on our world are an infection, of sorts. This infection can spread, turning living beings into the creatures we call daemons. This infection has also spread so thick it blocked out the sun. We are still learning more about it every day but what we do know is only the Chosen King can cure the darkness once and for all.”

“Do you know who the chosen one is?”

Ignis dropped his head. “Noctis, my Prince and charge. He… went missing but we have high hopes he will return, when he is ready.”

Leliana hummed. “Did he run away?”

Ignis looked surprised. “No, he did not. There is a crystal, gifted to us by the gods and entrusted to the royal line for protecting. In turn, they are blessed with magic. When we went to recover the crystal, Noctis seemed to have been… swallowed by it, in a manner of speaking. We have yet to learn how to get him out. Astonishing that one man was capable of destroying our world.”

“One man?”

“We’ve recently discovered he is an immortal man with a daemonic presence within him. He brought the darkness along with several other… setbacks.” Ignis unconsciously reached for his scar then moved to rub his eyes. His glasses had been missing since they’d arrived. He would find another pair once they were home but felt oddly exposed without them.

“Did he do that to you?” she asked in a sadder tone.

Ignis nodded. “In a manner of speaking.”

She didn’t pry any further. “Our demons are not an infection, in the literal sense I suppose. Our magic comes from another world we call the Fade. It is where all spirits and demons dwell. Those that can tap into the fade are gifted with magic but at a risk. Reaching into the Fade makes them susceptible to demon possession. There is a type of magic we refer to as blood magic, it is taboo but gives the user the ability to summon demonic power or demons themselves.”

“That sounds rather, unsettling.”

“It can be. Spirits and demons all represent emotions. Fear, envy and lust are some of the demonic aspects. Compassion, knowledge and love are all spirits. Most believe spirits and demons are one in the same but others claim demons are twisted spirits that were forced to act against their nature. Cole is a spirit of compassion.”

“I see, this is quite fascinating.” Ignis turned his head, a pair of heavy heals catching his attention on the staircase. “Aranea?” he asked, unsure through the cluttered sound of birds.

“That’s me. They let us out.” Ignis was oblivious to the quick suspicious glare Aranea shot Leliana.

“Good to hear. Aranea this is the Inquisition spymaster, Leliana. We were exchanging information about the daemons in our respective worlds.”

“That so,” she replied and Ignis heard the sharpness in her voice.

“Yes it is,” Leliana replied, matching the commodore’s tone. “We were just wrapping up, however. I’m sure you would like your friend back for the evening before you set out tomorrow?”

“I am rather exhausted after such an eventful day. Would you mind lending me an arm, Aranea?” She stepped up beside him as he stood and hooked her arm around his which caught him off guard. Leliana grinned.

“Goodnight, Ignis. Thank you for sharing,” Leliana called out but he almost missed it through the birds.

“Yes, you as well, Leliana,” he replied as he started to descend the stairs carefully.

“Heard you talked us out of prison,” Aranea mentioned as they neared the bottom.

“They are all quite reasonable, once I explained the situation.”

“That’s good. Wasn’t sure what they’d do to you,” she replied a little quieter and Ignis tilted his head, hiding a grin.

“I daresay you were worried about me,” Ignis was grinning more obvious now and Aranea groaned.

“Of course I was, you idiot.”

Ignis lowered his head. “I am sorry I worried you.”

Aranea sighed next to him. “Don’t be. I knew you’d be fine. You’re made of tougher stuff than even Gladio.”

“Not always,” he said quietly. By now they’d made it to his room and she walked him over to the bed so he could have a seat. She stood in front of him a moment, just staring while he waited patiently for her to reply. He almost jumped when instead of a reply her hand gently touched the side of his face, her thumb tracing the large scar over his left eye. He was uncomfortable at first, his self-consciousness taking hold, but eventually relaxed when her other hand came up to the other side of his face, holding him in place. He froze, waiting for what she’d do next and not bothering to protest. He didn’t want to. There had been no time back home to indulge in anything remotely resembling enjoyment but here, maybe, for just one night, he could relax and enjoy the company of this beautiful force of nature he’d admired since the day they’d first met. Not the time she’d kicked Noct’s ass but the time after in the ruins. He felt a light, warm breath against his lips for only a moment before her lips pressed softly against his own, like a feather brushing the surface. He never imagined Aranea could be so gentle. All too soon her lips were gone, leaving Ignis a little disappointed. His hands hovered awkwardly a moment over her hips, barely brushing the surface.

“Sorry, you’ve probably got plenty on your mind,” she said and started to pull away but Ignis tightened his grip on her hips, holding her in place. Thankfully she took that as the sign she needed because this time her lips collided hard with his, hands frantically moving up to remove his shirt as they both moved up onto the bed. “You sure?” She asked through the side of her mouth, still pressed against his. She took the pleasurable hum he produced as a yes and that night, Ignis indulged and enjoyed himself immensely.


	19. Day 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> look at that, a chapter done before midnight for once haha
> 
> EDIT: rewrote the beginning of the chapter. And a short but but when Prompto wakes up. Wanted more feels and it just made more sense

Ignis woke to a warm weight draped over his bare chest. His hand reached up to touch the slender arm, a smile creeping over his face. He could have stayed like that all day if there weren’t more pressing issues at hand. It was quiet in the room but he could hear faint echoes of voices and clanking steel through the stone walls. He rubbed his face once before pushing himself into a seated position on the bed while his other hand gently moved her arm and placed it on the mattress. She groaned in protest at the movement but he wasn’t sure if she’d woken until she started to mumble something.

“Few more minutes,” she said and reached up, seizing his arm and pulled him back down beside her. “You’re warm.”

Ignis let out an airy laugh and pushed his lips against her forehead. “Yes, I would much prefer this but I can hear the others outside preparing. We shouldn’t keep them waiting.” There was another protest from her but she eventually sat up. Ignis stood and made a couple rounds next to the bed before he located his strewn out pieces of clothing. “What I wouldn’t give for a shower,” he sighed quietly.

Aranea laughed ironically and Ignis turned towards her curiously. “There’s a tub over here in the corner filled with steaming water and a bunch of flowers. So either someone made us a bath, or an absurdly large pot of tea.”

Ignis laughed louder now and started to make his way over to where Aranea’s voice had originated, nearly nicking the corner of the bed on the way. “Ladies first, I shall wash quickly when you’re finished.”

“There is plenty of room for the two of us,” she suggested and Ignis grinned again. He couldn’t remember the last time he smiled this much.

Prompto caught himself calling Noct's name in a panic which faded quickly as he realized where he was. He sighed, rubbing his face in frustration, took a couple deep breaths and relaxed. He was sore. Maybe the extra-curricular activity wasn’t the best decision in his current condition but thinking briefly over the night before overruled the potential regret. He was face down under a heavy pile of warm furs and had to thoroughly convince himself to get up. He was startled when he sat up and found the bed empty. His hands came up to rub the sleep from his eyes as he surveyed the room.

“Vale?” he called out quietly.

“In here,” he heard her voice from a smaller room attached to the main portion. He stumbled out of bed, noticing there was more strength in his leg than the previous day despite the soreness. Prompto limped to the door and knocked once. “You can join me.”

He pushed the door open and found Vale lounging in a large steaming tub of water that smelled incredible. “Wow,” was all he managed.

“How are you feeling?” she asked, holding out her arm to steady him as he climbed in. he let out a long, happy sigh as he sank down into the water.

“Wow,” he said again and Vale laughed.

“I was worried I might undo all that healing magic.”

“Well it helped that you…” he cleared his throat, “did most of the work.”

She winked at him. “You don’t look like you’re limping as much as you were.”

“No, it feels a lot better this morning. Just a little sore.”

“I can help with that,” she replied and scooted forward in the tub, splashing water over the edges as she moved. Her hand reached out under the water and started to swirl it around. The same green, glowing tendrils from before started to spread and illuminated the entire tub. Prompto watched with wide eyed fascination and felt the tingling of the magic move around him. All of his muscles relaxed at that moment and he leaned back against the edge of the tub with a content sigh.

“Wouldn’t be able to convince you to come with me, would I?” One of his eyes opened to look at her with a crooked grin and she smiled.

“You know the answer to that. Maybe, in another life where I’m not the leader of a massive peacekeeping organization trying to save the world?”

Prompto agreed with a laugh of his own. “Yeah, it was good while it lasted. Even if it was only a couple days.”

“It was a perfect distraction.”

“A perfect distraction,” Prompto agreed, but emphasized “perfect”.

Gladio had a big dumb grin on his big dumb face when Prompto and the Inquisitor emerged from the doorway and continued when Ignis and Aranea joined them only a few seconds later. “Well shit, am I the only one that didn’t get laid last night?”

Bull snorted, pulling Dorian a little closer for effect. “Yeah, you shoulda said something. There are couple of gals in the tavern I could have sent your way.”

Gladio rolled his eyes and was grumbling when he walked out to the courtyard where the party was ready to depart. Ignis, who was oblivious to the exchange turned his head towards Aranea. “Dare I ask what that was about?”

Aranea gave Promtpo a wink. “We are not the only ones late to the party.”

“Let’s not make a scene,” Prompto said quickly and Ignis raised an eyebrow, leaning in closer to the commodore this time.

“Prompto and Vale?”

“Seems so,” she replied and the blonde shuffled away, followed closely by the elf who held a large, proud grin. Aranea guided Ignis down the stairs into the courtyard, though by now, he was starting to get comfortable navigating the popular areas of the keep on his own. The Inquisitor inspected the half dozen soldier they were bringing along as well as the horse and cart carrying their supplies. The others were distracted by the massive elk-looking creature who stood a head higher than the horses and watch Vale carefully.

“What is that?” Prompto was the first to ask and immediately moved a little closer to the creature.

“That’s my halla. They are the elves most revered animals and trusted mounts,” the Inquisitor replied and walked Prompto over to the creature, guiding his hand to touch its nose. The halla snorted once in approval. “He likes you! Would you like to ride the other one? I brought horses out for everyone but if you’d rather take the halla…” as she spoke, Prompto’s eyes were slowly growing and she smiled, taking that as a yes. Prompto felt majestic as hell riding that thing next to the Inquisitor. Thankfully for Ignis, he’d already honed his chocobo riding while blind so the horse wasn’t too difficult, in fact a little easier since the ride was much smoother than a chocobo. That and there was no need to steer the horse since it followed the rest of the group easily on its own. So they set out for where they’d first arrived to begin the hunt, unaware that their target was marching straight for them with a small battalion of her own.


	20. Day 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did go back to the previous chapter and change the start and when Prompto wakes up. Just though there needed to be a little more angst in there and it made more sense to me. You don't have to go back and re-read, doesn't change this chapter but just as a heads up!

The group Owin had found turned out to be worlds more useful than she could have expected. They called themselves the Venatori and immediately swore themselves to her, thinking she was some sort of powerful demon god. Instead of losing her temper again, she decided to play along. She quickly discovered that these Venatori held some sort of grudge against the organization she was looking for so they were plenty enthusiastic in helping her find them. They were taking the mountain road through the dense woods towards the tall range before them. She had slept longer than she wanted to but apparently sleeping for twenty years was enough to wear someone out. The systems were still trying to recover and reboot and despite all the diagnostics, she couldn’t speed up the process or fix the power levels in her legs. Her left leg seemed to be leaking power and, though it was slow and manageable as long as she kept the power levels balanced, she was now on a constrictive time limit. She pushed herself up from the ground with a sigh and looked around. The men were packing up camp and her MT stood still as a statue nearby watching intently. She preferred solo missions since there was far less stress involved. She was less likely to make a mistake and less likely to be corrected for it. She watched the MT stare back at her and felt uneasy. What if father had sent it through to spy on her? Owin turned away, choosing not to think about the possibilities and to do the job she was assigned. Follow orders. Don’t get attached. Make father proud. A footstep near her caught her off guard and her dagger swung out, stopping inches from one of the Venatori. He froze in place, head bowed reverently. Whoever these people were seemed to think highly of demons which she couldn’t understand. They were just a power source.

“F-Forgive me, Commander. I was just checking in to make sure your needs are met before we start to move again.”

“I only have one need and that is to find the four intruders and take them back to the mirror,” her red eyes brightened a little for effect and the man bowed again before shuffling away quickly in fear. Let them fear her. They were more useful to her that way. She got to her feet and joined the group of men, her MT following close. “Move out,” she ordered and they all did so without hesitation. Owin followed behind them, her thoughts trailing as she scanned the area, taking in the new scenery and searching for lifeforms. The MT never faltered, following the exact number of paces behind and to her right at all times. These new models were unsettling but she’d ever admit that to her father. At least she still had her humanity, as much as that interfered with her ability to function with 100% efficiency. That’s what got her in trouble in the first place. She wasn’t sure she’d survive another correction like that. Something caught her eye in the distance up the road. A large group of bodies, close together, most mounted. Soldiers, perhaps?

“Stop,” she called to the men and they froze, waiting for more instructions. “There may be a squad of soldiers approaching. Are they likely to be yours?”

One of the men shook his head. “No, Commander. It may be an Inquisition patrol.”

She nodded. “Off the road. We wait for them in the trees. Kill the soldiers but leave anyone I call out alive.”

“Yes, Commander.”

The group split in half, taking cover in the trees on either side of the road. It wasn’t long before the group was in sight and their casual chatter could be heard. Owin immediately honed in on four of the figures dressed differently than the others. Though a couple of the men’s shirts blended with the others, their pants all displayed the Lucian Crownsguard crest and the woman brandished one of the familiar dragoon lances. The younger one mounted on the strange elk caught her attention though. His blonde hair and freckled skin, undeniably familiar to her. She pushed the thoughts from her mind quickly, however, when the Venatori attacked without her signal. She groaned. That’s what she got for employing a bunch of religious fanatics. They yelled and charged into the fray but Owin waited. The Venatori were being dispatched faster than she’d hoped. Her four targets were dismounted now, helping the others with the fight so Owin took the opportunity. If she could get one, the others would have to follow. She drew up her hood and pulled the mask over her face before darting into the fray. Two of them were distracted but the one man looked to be blind and would be more of a burden than bait. Unless she could get her MT to take that one as well. She cut through two of the soldiers in her way then brought the hilt of her dagger down hard on the back of the blonde’s head. He slumped into her arms and she slung him over her shoulder. The blind man was still grasping for the blonde when she knocked him over the head and caught him before he fell.

“Magitek!” she growled and the machine hobbled over. She handed the blind man to it and nodded for the woods using the mounts at cover. Once they were off the road they were running.

“Prompto!”

“Ignis!” two different women called out at the same time but Owin and her MT were already deep in the thicket. Owin was faster than the mounts in the thick of the forest and managed to lose most of them within minutes. The Venatori were left behind to their fate but she had what she needed and that’s all that mattered.

 

It happened so quickly, none of them were sure what had actually happened. Aranea was on the ground first, her lance thrusting forward through the attackers. Ignis felt an intense heat nearby before someone pulled him off his horse. He was about to lash out but Gladio’s voice stopped him.

“Stay near the horse. These guys use magic.” Ignis frowned, hating the feeling of being useless but did as he was instructed since he was lacking a weapon.

“What the hell is that?” he heard Dorian cry out, startled and Ignis made out the familiar mechanical screams of an MT unit charging them.

“Shit, just bring it down!” he heard Bull next. The sounds and yelling disoriented him greatly and someone else took his arm, gently this time.

“I got your back,” Prompto’s voice was a comfort, his touch, more so.

“Thank you,” Ignis replied but his stomach dropped when a painful, startled choke came from Prompto and he felt his grip ripped away from his arm. “Prompto?” Ignis’ voice caught when a hard blow sent his senses spinning and he collapsed into someone’s arms. His voice had caught Vale and Aranea’s attention but he was already being hauled up over someone’s shoulder, his head aching intensely. The girl’s both turned in time to see the unconscious blonde and Ignis being carried off into the woods by a mysterious figure and the large demonic machine.

“Prompto!” the Inquisitor called after him and mounted her hala,

“Ignis!” Aranea called out his name but Gladio, was quickly following suit, leaping onto his horse to follow. They galloped hard through the trees, branches and leaves slapping and cutting flesh but not for long. The woods were too thick to ride and her hala slowed in protest.

“Fenedhis lasa!” she cursed in anger as Gladio came to stop beside her.

“We’re going on foot. We can track them.” He was trying to convince himself more than anything. “They took them alive for a reason. We have a chance.” By the Six, let them live.


	21. Day 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are getting busy with the holiday so I may miss a day or two but that might be perfect cause this story may be wrapping up soonish!

Prompto woke with a start, once again finding Noct’s name on his lips. He immediately squeezed his eyes closed when the throbbing in his head caught up to his senses. His body ached and he was slumped against something hard. His eyes pushed open again into small slits and he inspected himself. All in one piece. His mind rushed to remember what had happened. He spotted Ignis next to him, still unconscious. There was no hesitation then. He pushed the pain aside and pulled himself over to sit next to the advisor, checking him for any obvious wounds. There was a cut and a bruise on his forehead that had stopped bleeding. He was hit too. Then who…? Prompto finally took in the larger picture and froze, shaking. An MT unit stood still as a statue facing away from them. He didn’t know what to do and started to panic internally. He couldn’t get Ignis away without making enough noise to alert it but he couldn’t leave Ignis to get help either. His eyes were wide and searching and that’s when he finally noticed her. A woman, maybe a little older than him sat against a nearby tree watching him curiously. The mask and hood was gone revealing messy blonde hair braided down to her waist and pale skin covered in freckles. She looked human enough but her eyes were glowing red like an MT.

“It won’t hurt you, unless I tell it to,” she spoke suddenly and it took Prompto a moment to realize she was referring to the MT. “And I won’t tell it to if you behave, stay quiet, and don’t run.” Prompto didn’t have a response so he nodded once in understanding. That was when Ignis began to shift uncomfortably then sat up in a panic, feeling around him trying to gain his bearings.

“Iggy, Iggy!” Promtpo said his name, grabbing his arms to try and calm him. “It’s okay, I got you.”

“P-Prompto,” Ignis managed and steadied his breathing. “Something hit me.”

“Yeah, I know. She got me too.”

“She?” Ignis asked and Prompto glanced over at the woman with red eyes who proceeded to roll them.

“I have orders to take you back to Gralea. You’ll come with me quietly or I kill one of you. Which one I kill just depends on who is more compliant,” she instructed nonchalantly.

“I see,” Ignis replied and the woman smirked at the irony. “Are we hostages or bait?”

“Bait, I need the other two… but they aren’t required. I’m just shooting for extra credit.”

“Are you a mercenary?” Ignis asked but Prompto poked him, trying to get him to stop asking questions. She looked like an MT. The woman stood and took a few steps closer, rolling up her sleeves as she knelt down beside them. That’s when Prompto saw it. The code print on her wrist, just like his own. He couldn’t keep in the gasp and she shot him a curious glance, following his gaze down to her arm.

“You’ve seen one of these before? Or have you never seen a tattoo? I thought tattoos were all the rage in Insomnia.” Prompto kept his mouth shut and Ignis tilted his head curiously.

“S-She’s an MT,” Prompto finally stuttered shooting a look at the other one and the girl lashed out in anger, her fist connecting with Prompto’s jaw. He let out a startled cry, sprawling on the ground next to Ignis.

“I am a soldier,” she growled at him and quickly composed herself when she saw the actual MT had turned around. “I was his first. I’m nothing like those mindless beast father replaced me with.”

Ignis and Prompto both sucked in a breath. “You… you’re not a machine?” The blonde asked carefully and flinched, expecting another hit. Ignis was still thinking about who she called father when the girl stood in anger and hauled him up to his feet. “We’re moving. Try anything and I kill one of you,” she snapped and pushed the advisor forward, nearly sending him to his knees. Prompto got up to guide Ignis through the forest led by the MT and followed by the woman.

They were walking for quite some time before the pain in Prompto’s leg reared its ugly head and he started limping. Before long he had to stop. “Please, I just need a minute.”

The woman growled. “What.”

“Well I almost got cut in half a couple days back and have some lingering pain there. I just need a minute.”

The woman deliberated a moment and sighed. “Fine, sit.” They followed her instructions and took a seat. She sat in silence for some time before speaking again. “So you’re Crownsguard?” Ignis looks surprised. “The insignia is all over you and you have that, holier than thou Insomnia attitude.”

Ignis raises an eyebrow. “It that so? But yes, we are. I’m the advisor to the crown.”

“Oh, well I guess they’d replaced that older serious looking guy eventually… with a younger model.”

“Are you referring to my uncle?” Ignis clarified. Suppose it wasn’t completely unsurprising that a high ranking soldier would have information on the enemy. But why now? The empire had been defeated despite Adryn winning the first round. She shrugged even though Ignis couldn’t see it but didn’t bother clarifying either. “I was raised in the position with Prince Noctis.” Ignis continued anyways.

“The Prince?” she asked confused.

“King, now,” Ignis clarified. Prompto watched her eyes widen a little.

“I suppose a lot would have happened in twenty years.”

“Have you not… been around for a while?” Prompto asked and she shot him a glare but softened and shook her head. “Where have you been?”

She sighed. “Asleep.”

Ignis and Prompto both raised an eyebrow at this, Prompto speaking. “You’ve been asleep for twenty years? Why?”

The woman frowned and moved to swing at Prompto again before stopping herself. She growled and sat back down. “Stop asking questions,” she hissed. They were all quiet for a while but Ignis caught her whispering to herself “don’t get attached. Do the mission. Make father proud” over and over again.

He finally risked it. “Do you mind me asking who your father is?”

She shot him a look. “He’s not… technically my father. He’s my… source.”

Prompto’s stomach started to twist, wondering if this was going where he feared. “Versitael,” he whispered and her head shot in his direction. Ignis immediately reached out, touching Prompto’s arm in comfort.

“So you know who he is then.”

“You…” Prompto was struggling with the words, “you said you were his first.”

“Yes, I was his first genetically altered clone. Before he started that... thing with growing the clones just for the demonic energy. Originally there was going to be an entire army of bionic soldiers but then…” she went quiet and her face went a little sad. She touched something on her chest, over her heart that glowed faintly under her uniform. She was so proud of who she was but held a grudge against Verstael for whatever he did to her. It almost seemed like she was acting with the intention of proving her worth but Verstael was long dead thanks to Prompto and Aranea. Did she not know? Then it dawned on Ignis. If she had just appeared after being asleep for twenty years, that means Ardyn must have woken her and lied about Verstael to manipulate her. That could be the key to turning her to their side and saving her life since Ardyn would more than likely kill her once he was finished with whatever plan he had. But if she found out her father was dead they most certainly couldn’t reveal what happened to him. She had a temper and could easily kill one or both of them. Prompto was shaking and Ignis could feel it since he was standing so close to him now.

“Do you mind me asking why your father put you to sleep for so long?” Ignis was careful with his words, trying not to anger her but he wanted more answers.

She hesitated. “I broke the rules, I made father angry. I committed treason and the only reason he didn’t execute me on the spot was because the Chancellor convinced him otherwise.”

Prompto gasped but Ignis was not surprised. It was as he expected. “Ardyn?” Prompto asked and she nodded.

“You know him?”

How could they even answer that? Prompto just nodded.

“You seem very keep to prove yourself to your father. I can’t imagine what would be so horrible to charge you with treason,” Ignis coaxed for more details.

The woman laughed humorlessly. “How about helping the enemy escape with one of his clones?” Prompto and Ignis both went white.


	22. Day 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry some of the dragon age has faded and FFXV is taking over. it's getting close to the end though! not sure if there will be a chapter tomorrow, however.

20 Years Earlier

 

It had been a particularly hard day training. Verstael was in a mood when he’d visited the Magitek facility and took it out on her. She was used to it.  She was his first and had to set an example for the future soldiers. Verstael was unimpressed by her that day and had sentenced her to guard the nursery once again. What he didn’t realize was how much she enjoyed it. It was quiet and relaxing and she liked being around the children, even though they were all in large stasis tubes. There was a specific one she enjoyed visiting. She thought he reminded her of herself in a way since some of the genetics that went into him came from her. They were almost related.

The long halls of the nursery were chilly and illuminated by the dull blue glow from the stasis tubes. Her father had decided not to rush the aging process as he had with her, hoping to correct the side effects she had encountered. Her legs had ceased to work as part of her spinal cord had not matured with the rest of her body leaving her without movement from the waist down. Now she had two mechanical legs and every few months her father would show up to replace another piece of her with a machine. She had long since become accustomed to it. Anything to make him happy. He was trying to make her the best she could be and if he had to change some parts out, that was fine.

On his good days it was a joy for her to be with him. He would teach her things and let her help him in the lab. She’d only been alive for thirteen years but had been aged to somewhere in her twenties. When they installed the chip and plug in the back of her head she had been able to download enough information to catch up mentally. There was still so much to learn. She knew she had been created to be a soldier and she worked her hardest to make him proud but her true dream was to become a scientist like him.

She sighed, stopping next to the pod she was looking for. The glass tube was wide enough to fit an adult inside but the only inhabitants were infants. This one made her smile. He was smaller than the rest and was already covered in freckles just like her. There were plenty others that looked similar to him but this one was different. He always looked like he was smiling. She leaned against the glass looking down at the bandage around her arm. Father had been particularly angry today. She glanced back up and smiled before something caught her attention. Her red eyes brightened but before she could react, someone grabbed her from behind, a strong arm wrapping around her neck and squeezing. She fought back, bringing her mechanical elbow back and into the person’s gut. He choked, trying to keep quiet and she reeled on him but stopped before following through with her attack.

The man was dressed in an imperial uniform but didn’t look like one. “Identify yourself,” she snapped. The man frowned and launched at her again. She countered a few times before he turned his attention to one of the pods. “No!” she growled and launched after him before he could touch any of the buttons. He had a fire in him and fought her well, despite all of her training, managed to get the upper hand. He pulled a large cable from one of the pods and jabbed it into her leg, the electricity making her scream and dropping to the ground. The man looked like he might move to finish her but started back towards the pod.

“Stop, tell me what you want,” she demanded through a shaking breath.

“Him,” he said once and pointed at the infant in the pod.

“What? No you can’t!” the man turned back to her when he heard how desperate her voice had become. “He, he’s my brother,” she lied but it wasn’t that far from the truth.

The man approached her and knelt down, pulling some files from the backpack he carried. “You aren’t Magitek, you seem to have feelings.”

She frowned. “I was his first. I am a soldier.”

“You are human,” he said with an even tone and she sucked in a breath. No one had ever referred to her that way and she’d never really given it much thought. “You care for this one?”

“Don’t hurt him.”

He opened the file and held it out to her. “Verstael’s research. He plans to age them, infect them with the star scourge and let them die when they come of age.”

“What?” she didn’t believe him. She couldn’t. Clearly this was a spy, most certainly from Lucis. She should kill him on the spot but there was something in the back of her mind that wouldn’t let her. “He wouldn’t do that. He cares for them.”

“Does he care for you?”

She hesitated. “Yes. He feeds me, trains me, and fixes me when I need to be fixed.”

The man sighed, his hard face softening ever so slightly. “You are describing a pet, not a person. You’re just a thing to him.”

“Why would he let them die?” she asked, staring after the folder he put back in his bag.

“We don’t know yet. That’s why I’m here. If you want this one to live… let me take him with me.”

“What?” she stood and he took a defensive stance, unsure what she’d do.

“Verstael is going to let all of these children die if we can’t find a way to stop him.”

“But…” she paused and cursed herself for even considering it. “Why do you trust me to help you? I’m Magitek.”

He took in a long breath and reminded her. “You are human. I trust you because, besides these kids, you’re the most human thing I’ve seen in this place.”

She hesitated. “You promise me he’ll be okay?”

“I swear it. No harm will come to him. I just need a way out.”

Owin stood and pulled a cord from the display console of the pod and plugged it into the back of her head. The man looked a little startled but held a stone face otherwise. The control console lit up and the water began to drain slowly. Before long the water was gone and the glass slid open. Owin removed her uniform jacket to wrap the infant in and picked him up. She’d never held a baby before. It was light and soft. She realized what had happened then. She’d become attached to him. She knew this would get her in trouble, the most she’d ever been in. They’d likely dispose of her. But in that moment she didn’t care. She carefully handed him over to the spy who careful took the baby in his arms and nodded.

“I can help you out but I can’t go further.”

“You could come back to Lucis with me.” It was a halfhearted request because they both knew that would be impossible. She looked too much like a Magitek.

She shook her head and replied. “I don’t belong there, but thanks for the offer. I’m 01, by the way, but everyone called me Owin.”

The man nodded and took a readying breath. “I’m Cor. Thank you for your help, Owin.”


	23. Day 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took one day off! haha this story is kinda fun since it's become a speed writing challenge. it rough and choppy and all of the chapters almost feel like short stories. Nearly done though!

****

Gladio was pissed. He and the Inquisitor returned to the road with slumped shoulders and were met with disappointed faces. Vale slid off her halla immediately, issuing orders to her men. “I want you to take the injured with our mounts back to Skyhold. It will be easier to track them as a smaller party.” The soldier in front of her nodded as the others began pulling their packs from the horses. “Bull, Dorian, Cole, you’re with us,” she nodded towards Gladio and Aranea. The Commodore stood patiently waiting for Vale to finish issuing her orders to her men. As someone with her own command, she understood what was going through the Inquisitor’s head. She’d be worried about her men, angry at herself for letting Prompto and Ignis get taken, and would take responsibility if anything happened to either. Gladio was less patient, pacing and fidgeting next to Vale, eager to get going. The soldiers started their work, tending to the wounded and loading them up to take them back. Bull, Dorian, Cole and Aranea joined the Inquisitor who stared blankly for a moment in the direction of her men with worry smeared on her face. Dorian reached out and touched her arm, pulling her from her thoughts.

“We haven’t lost anyone yet, Vale. We still have time,” he reassured her with a smile. She nodded at him with more resolve and turned to Gladio and Aranea with a new determination.

“I swear I will do everything in my power to find them and get you home,” she gripped his arm tightly and his face relaxed a little, moving from anger to match her own resolve.

“I appreciate it,” he finally replied and Vale took off into the woods.

The group followed her, spread out wide in the trees, watching for any signs of the culprit. “Cole,” Vale called for the boy. Gladio was still unsure what was wrong with the kid. He saw him lurking around the keep a lot but never actually spoke to him. Aranea didn’t seem too suspicious of the kid but there was still something about him. Vale seemed to trust him though and it was her business so Gladio didn’t pursue it. Cole made a few quick strides to stand next to Vale, looking up at her under his wide hat. Gladio moved in closer to listen in curiously.

“Those men were Venatori,” she started and stopped when Cole shook his head.

“All but the dark ones.”

“The two with the red eyes? The ones that took Prompto and Ignis.”

Cole nodded. “They are from the other place.”

“Where our visitors are from,” she confirmed and Cole nodded again. “Did you get anything from either of the dark ones?”

“The big one, loud, angry, sad, a lot of screaming but no thoughts,” he replied sadly but Vale looked disturbed. “The other was less dark. Made not born. Conditioned and trained. Metal bits make her better and father doesn’t yell. Don’t get attached. Follow orders. Make father proud.” Gladio barely understood what the kid was saying but Vale seemed to be working through it, piecing it together.

“Is she doing this against her will, Cole?”

“Hard to tell. She wants to but she’s angry. She stole a baby and father got angry. Father locked her in a box to forget. Twenty years.”

“She’s been in prison for twenty years?” Gladio pulled them both from the conversation but didn’t bother apologizing. Something Cole said did make sense. Cole nodded shying away from the large man. “You said she stole a baby. Was that twenty years ago?” Cole nodded again. “Do you know what she is?” Vale allowed the questioning but stood between Cole and Gladio to make sure he was comfortable. He glanced up at her and she nodded so Cole answered.

“She’s warm like a person but cold like steel. Pieces of her aren’t real. Something dark keeps the metal moving.” Gladio was completely lost and looked to Vale, hoping for answers.

“Ignis said the original description of her sounded like what you call a Magitek.” Gladio sucked in a breath. “Does Cole’s description make more sense now?”

“A little but that doesn’t make me feel any better.”

Aranea was suddenly beside them, hearing most of the conversation. Something had dawned on her. “Wait… if she’s Magitek and you said she was imprisoned for twenty years… for stealing a baby…” Aranea pieced it together.

“What is it?” Gladio finally asked, the anticipation killing his patience.

“This Magitek woman is referring to someone as her father. If she’s talking about Verstael then that baby stole twenty years ago.”

“Shit,” Gladio finished her thoughts. “Are you saying she helped Prompto escape?”

“It’s possible but why would she be after him now?”

“There’s still a lot we don’t know. Best save the questions for when we find them,” Gladio answered and Aranea nodded, returning to her position in the trees.

“Since she’s from your world I’ll let you make the call as to what you want us to do when we find her,” Vale said, looking up at the large man.

“Kill the MT… the soldier she’s with but we should keep her alive… just in case.”

Vale nodded and turned her attention to the ground. “This way.”

 

Owin noticed the stillness of the two when she answered. Was her treason that shocking to them as well or was it something else she’d said? She shifted uncomfortably and stood in anger. “Let’s go,” she growled, upset that they’d coaxed more answers out of her. She seized the blonde’s arm and pulled him up, catching the leather straps on his wrist as she did so. He ripped his arm away in a panic and the bracelet snapped. The blonde pulled his arm against his chest, holding his wrist. She thought she had hurt him for a brief moment before she caught a glimpse of the black lines on his wrist. She froze and it was her turn to pale.

“Prompto, is everything alright?” the blind one asked, hearing the shuffling around him.

Prompto didn’t reply to Ignis but choked out careful words towards her. “W-Why… did you help the c-clone escape?”

She frowned, staring down at his wrist he had clasped in his hand. “I…” she paused. Don’t get attached. Follow orders… but… “Answer me first. Do you know what happened to the batch of clones father created twenty years ago?”

Prompto’s face twisted painfully and he glanced at the blind one as though hoping for help. He stood quietly, waiting to see where the conversation would lead. “I… um…” Prompto began.

“Tell her, Prompto,” Ignis finally spoke and Prompto took in a deep breath.

“Th-They were… destroyed… by Verstael. Most were infected with… he turned them into that.” Prompto pointed at the MT unit standing still a few feet away.

“He… killed them?” She asked, her voice softer now. “He was right,” she whispered mostly to herself.

“Who?” Ignis asked. Owin let out a humorless laugh and dropped to a seated position, shoulders slumped. The two could have easily escaped at that point and she wouldn’t have cared. All those kids. Clones or not she thought for sure they’d grow up to be like her and she could train them and make father proud. He only cared about the efficiency. That’s what he meant before he put her under. Prompto moved closer to the blind man, shock still in his eyes. He couldn’t have been, could he? The blond hair, freckles, those blue eyes. She should have noticed sooner but never would have thought…

Finally she spoke again. “I was watching the nursery that night and a man broke in. A Lucian spy. He showed me the documents that father was planning on killing them but I didn’t want to believe him. I helped him escape with one though. M-My favorite, just in case. Father had used some of my blood in the mix with that specific infant.” Prompto was steadily getting paler and the blind one had a hold of his arm in a comforting manner. “Let me see it,” she said, nodding at Prompto’s wrist. He sighed and finally let it go, holding it out to her.

“It was me, wasn’t it?” She didn’t need to look up at the blonde to know there were tears hinting at the corner of his eyes. She finally looked him in the eyes, a smile hinting at her lips. She nodded once and Prompto jumped into her, wrapping his arms tightly around her. She panicked briefly, thinking he was attacking her but the hold wasn’t tight enough to hurt and he was definitely crying now.

All of the programming and orders left her mind and her arms slowly came up to wrap around Prompto like he did to her. This seemed to make him cry harder and she looked up at the blind man, lost for words. He, of course didn’t see what was going on but guessed easily enough. “Is this okay?” she asked, still unsure. Prompto nodded against her and Ignis smiled.

“It is an honor to meet you…” Ignis paused.

“01 is my designation. Everyone calls me Owin.”

“Owin. I do believe we have much to discuss.”


	24. Day 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, i fell 2 days behind because life threw some shit at me. apologies for a short chapter. We'll see how much time i have in the next few days. regardless, I will finish it!

Prompto had finally calmed himself but now sat staring at her, lost for words so Ignis took over the questioning. “Who was the man you helped escape with Prompto? I am certain we would have liked to meet him if we had known.”

“His name was…” she searched her memory, “Cor. I believe his name was Cor.” Ignis and Prompto both shared a surprised expression. “So you know him?”

Prompto laughed. “Of course we do! He’s still around! Oh my god I’ll have to thank him the next time we run into him! I can’t believe he kept that a secret all these years.”

“It would have been a top secret mission so I am not surprised,” Ignis answered. “Though it does explain why the Marshall held such a high opinion of you during your training. He often mentioned how proud he was of you.”

Prompto’s eyes lit up. “What? Of me?”

“Indeed. For a man that is not very forthcoming with his emotions, he was quite… fatherly towards you.” Prompto started to blush.

“Speaking of fathers, we will want to find a way out once we are back. He sent me to find you and if he finds out I’m helping the enemy again, he won’t let me live.”

Prompto glanced at Ignis once more but Ignis spoke first, knowing what was going through his mind. “If you are willing, Prompto, I think now would be a good time to go over what happened… while we were separated in Niflheim.”

Prompto took a nervous breath and Owin noticed. “Uh…” he hesitated, his hand unconsciously reaching for his wrist again. “It… It started when Noc… my friend accidentally pushed me off a train.”

Owin raised an eyebrow. “Your friends pushed you off a train?”

“Well he didn’t mean to. He thought I was Ardyn.” This seemed to confuse Owin even more so Ignis stepped in to briefly explain to her the history the Chancellor had with them and his role in all of this. Then Prompto continued. He covered the hike into the mountains, being captured by the Imperial soldiers, waking up to Ardyn manipulating him and hesitated. “I found a bunch of research up there. That’s how I found out that most of the… batch I came from had been destroyed. I found what was left when I found Verstael talking with Ardyn. Ardyn had led me there on purpose thinking a ‘family reunion’ would be fun to witness.” Prompto took another breath but Owin was holding her own. Where was this going to go? “Verstael had some… words for me about my failures and came after me. He’d infected himself and I… I had to kill him.” Owin finally breathed her head racing. She waited for the anger to rise in her as did Prompto but for some reason, it never came. Instead she was relieved. He was gone which meant, she was free. That also meant Ardyn had lied to her which she was discovering as a common thing.

“You… killed father,” she finally spoke and both Prompto and Ignis went stiff. Prompto looked down sadly.

“It wasn’t easy… as it should have been. Especially when I found out what I was to him. I wanted to ask him questions. Why, mostly. I couldn’t move. I was fully prepared to… to die in that place,” Ignis fidgeted uncomfortably, “Verstael and the last of the clones were absorbed into this huge mechanically weapon, Aranea showed up and pulled my ass out of there.” He took a shaking breath. “We were separated during our escape but she found me later. Beat some sense into me after I tried to…” he looked down at the barcode on his wrist. “Well she kicked my ass into gear again, we went back to the factory and managed to kill Verstael’s machine monster that he’d downloaded into or whatever. That thing still gives me nightmares.” Ignis reached out a hand at that point and squeezed the blonde’s shoulder.

“I had an idea of what you went through, Prompto. But I did not know the extent and I’m sorry I couldn’t help you properly.”

Prompto shrugged. “I didn’t really give you the option to.”

Owin finally shifted and the two turned their attention to her. “I should be angry. But my orders didn’t come from father, so I have no orders to follow. I… I’m not sure what to do now. I think I’m… relieved.”

“Well you have us now and you are more than welcome to stick around,” Ignis replied with a smile.

“Yeah, I mean, you’re basically my big sister, right?” Prompto asked in a cheerier tone.

Owin tilted her head, thinking about it. “I think I like the sound of that, Prompto.”


	25. Day 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 3 days behind! but that's okay. It'll be wrapping up in the next chapter! Thanks for reading this weird little story. I appreciate the encouragement and had fun with the speed sessions to bust out chapters. I'm finishing with renewed inspiration and motivation to go back to working on my own book!

Aranea could see the accumulating impatience building in Gladio as they moved through the thick trees. It had started at angry but was not peaking at pure anxiety. Every sound had him on edge and hovered relentlessly over a very patient Inquisitor. “Gladio,” she finally pulled him away.

He walked over to where Aranea had landed from scouting higher in the trees. “What’s up? Did you find something?”

She closed her eyes and shook her head. “No, I just think Vale needs a break from you so you’re going to accompany me for a while.”

He frowned but didn’t argue. He must have noticed then. They all stopped when Vale’s hand came up, signaling them to stop and quiet down. Gladio perked up but managed to stay in place. They all stopped and listened. There! An echo of clashing steel and yelling. “Move!” Vale commanded and they took off in a sprint. Aranea and Gladio were the only two familiar with the enemies they came upon. The others had never seen the like other than when the Venatori attacked. There were at least six MTs moving towards three figures with shaking movements. Another five or six daemons were mixed in the ranks, mostly lower level save for the Ronin lurking around the outside edge of the skirmish, waiting to strike. Gladio and Aranea were both relieved to see Prompto and Ignis alive and okay… for the most part. Their kidnapper seemed to be helping as well. Ignis was on the ground when they got there, a demon lurking above him, weapon ready to strike while Ignis reached for the dagger just out of reach. Prompto was there, seizing the demon from behind and ripping it away from Ignis, bring the ax he held over his shoulder and swinging it into the creature. The demon dropped but Prompto looked tired. He wasn’t built for an ax that size.

“Prompto!” Gladio called out as he ran to Ignis’ side, pulling the man to his feet and handing him his dagger. Prompto turned with a knowing nod and tossed the large ax back towards Gladio, trading places with his to make sure Ignis was in one piece. Vale was at Prompto’s side in an instant while the others rushed in.

“Are you alright?” she asked, looking him up and down.

He nodded and smiled at her. “Better now! You have any weapons I’d be better at using?”

Vale nodded and pulled a bow and quiver off her shoulder. “Brought you a present.” Prompto stared at it, confused and Vale frowned. “You mentioned you were the marksman of the group.”

“Yeah… with a gun.” Prompto saw her confusion and shook his head taking the bow from her. “Well if I can shoot a gun I can definitely shoot a bow right?” he laughed nervously. Vale turned, bringing her hands up at a couple of daemons charging the seemingly distracted trio. A wall of flames shot from the ground before them, Ignis and Promtpo turning away from the heat. She pushed her hands and the wall slid back into the daemons triggering horrific screams from them before they dropped. Just as quickly the flames were gone.

“Wow, that was way cooler than Iggy’s spells!” Prompto cheered and Ignis grunted behind them.

“Enough chatter! Help or get out of the way!” Gladio growled over the sounds of the intensifying fight. Vale shrugged and threw her hands out again, loosing an angry fire on the enemies.

“What about her?” she asked, nodding towards the kidnapper, attempting to hold off a couple of MTs nearby.

“She’s with us,” Ignis replied and Vale nodded, moving into the fray. Prompto sighed and held up the bow, notching an arrow. “Did she give you a bow?”

“Yeah.”

“Pull it back and breathe through the shot. Just as you do when you shoot a rifle.”

“I hate shooting rifles.”

Ignis smiled. “I know but you may enjoy this.” Prompto sighed and pulled back, taking aim at the daemon a few feet away, going after Gladio. He took a breath, exhaled, and loosed the arrow. It burrowed into the side of the daemon’s head and it dropped with a screech. Prompto made a cheerful sound. “You see?” Ignis replied and Prompto notched another arrow. Aranea was at their side next.

“Finally decided to join in?” she asked with a little sarcasm and Ignis smiled again at the sound of her voice.

“You found us.”

“Always,” she replied. “You two have things under control here?”

“We do. Fly high, Commodore.” Aranea grinned wildly at his words and she was airborne in an instant.

“Watch for its lunges!” Gladio called towards Bull on the other side of the skirmish as the big qunari approached the stalking daemon. Bull nodded back towards Gladio in understanding and charged. The daemon’s sword came down, lighting fast, parrying Bull’s strike and countering with its own. Bull grunted when the daemon’s sword caught the back of his shoulder and he reeled on it, stopping suddenly when a flash of frost exploded in front of him.

“Kadan!” he roared over at Dorian who watched a daemon under his control battle a couple others. He looked over, nonchalantly. “Do you remember our discussion about warning me when you lay traps?”

Dorian shrugged and smiled. “Forgive me, amatus. I was caught up in the moment. It must have slipped my mind.” Bull grumbled something in qunlok under his breath and brought his sword down on the frozen daemon, shattering it in place. After a few moments the daemons and MTs were cleared out and the group converged, looking one another over for wounds. Most of them were minor but Dorian would be fussing over the gash in Bull’s shoulder for hours.

“So what’s her story?” Gladio asked nodding towards the red eyed woman taking cover behind Ignis. She was unsure if the others would attack or not. “Looks like an MT to me.”

Prompto immediately came to her defense, much to her surprise. “She’s not an MT. She’s human.” Cor’s words echoed through her mind after Prompto had said it. “She’s… kinda like my big sister.” Gladio raised a suspicious eyebrow but couldn’t hold back the astonishment.

“She is with us,” Ignis clarified. “The rest will be explained at a more appropriate time. In the meantime, it seems the Chancellor has grown impatient or knew the entire time that you wouldn’t go through with your orders. It is plausible to believe he will continue to send enemies through the mirror until we return.”

Vale sighed a little sadly. “I suppose we should get you back to the eluvian then.” Prompto flashed her a sad expression of his own but didn’t say anything. “This way.” They moved quietly through the woods, the eluvian already close by. Within the hour they arrived at the clearing where another group of daemons waited outside the mirror.


	26. Day 26

Vale and Dorian immediately threw out a frost and fire trap in the center, the massive explosion of fire and ice scattering the daemons in a panic. Bull and Gladio charged into the two groups, followed close by the others for support. Owin sliced through them with precision much like Ignis had fought when he still had his sight. His techniques were a bit different now but no less deadly. Prompto split his time between Owin and Ignis, providing support for both sending several admiring glances towards their new addition. He had a new family member now, more or less, and he still couldn’t quite wrap his head around that fact. It didn’t take long for them to dispatch this group before they stood before the mirror, staring at one another. There was a sadness in the air as well as hesitation as they all paused, sharing glances among each other. Vale approached Prompto first, forcing a smile.

“I could tell you to stay but I know you have your own duty. But, for what it’s worth, you made me incredibly happy those couple days. Happier than I’ve been for a long while. I won’t forgot you,” she stepped back looking over Ignis, Gladio, and Aranea, “Any of you.” She touched Ignis’ arm. “Thank you.”

“Thank you for all of your help and that moment of reprieve we all very much needed. You brought us back together,” Ignis replied and nodded in the direction of the other guys.

“In the strangest way possible,” Gladio grunted but smiled and moved to shake Bull’s hand. “Would have liked to stick around with such a great sparring partner.”

Bull laughed. “It was a good time!”

Vale moved in to Prompto again, pushing in for a long kiss. When she pulled away Prompto staggered and held a wide smile. “I’m going to miss you a lot,” Prompto managed and Vale laughed.

“Get going, and be careful,” Vale ordered them. “When you get to the other side… destroy the mirror.”

“That was out plan,” Ignis confirmed. “Thank you again, all of you.”

The group moved to the mirror and Vale activated it wither a flash of magic. They went through in pairs and after a short moment, the eluvian went dark, signaling the destruction of the other side. Vale nodded towards Bull and his sword came down hard, shattering the glass in a single blow. Vale looked sad, turning to her comrades with a sigh.

“Alright, we’ve got someone to find still. Let’s go home and back to work.”

 

The group was prepared for a fight when they landed back in the facility. It was suspiciously quiet, however.

“This… is weird,” Prompto whispered looking around. There was a flash of blue light and Prompto, Aranea, and Owin spun around. Gladio held his great sword in his hand with a relieved expression. “Oh!” Prompto made a surprised sound and pulled out his pistol, slinging the bow over his shoulder. Aranea raised an eyebrow. “What? It’s a souvenir and Vale gave it to me! I’m not leaving this behind!” Aranea rolled her eyes and stood near Ignis, letting him know she was there with a soft touch to his arm. He held out his hand, letting out a relieved sigh when his dagger appeared in his hand.

“I appreciate Prompto’s sentiment in this case,” Ignis replied feeling the weight of the armiger dagger in his hand. “Owin would you like yours back now that I have my own?”

She moved closer, staring at the dagger he held out to her. It was the Ardyn’s dagger. Now that she was back a crippling fear was falling over her. She nearly jumped out of her skin when Gladio shattered the mirror behind them. “Gladio! Warning buddy!” Prompto squeaked.

“Owin?” Ignis said her name, realizing she hadn’t taken the dagger yet. “Are you alright?”

She nodded, despite knowing that wouldn’t help Ignis and took the dagger with a shaking hand. “Y-Yes.”

Ignis tilted his head at her, hearing the shaking in her voice. “You are with us now, Owin. No orders to follow. No punishment to fear. We have your back.” She nodded again but didn’t bother voicing the affirmation. Ignis took the slowing of her breathing as confirmation from her.

“I don’t understand where the daemons are coming from. I know my father was experimenting with them but, there’s so many.” Owin’s voice was still a little shaky.

“That was Ardyn’s doing. The sun’s gone so the daemons are pretty much a standard feature on Eos,” Prompto replied.

“We should explain later. Get out of here first. That slimy bastard is nearby and we all know it,” Aranea growled and everyone was quick to agree. They made their way up the stairs and out into the hallway. The lights flickered but it was unsettlingly quiet. The voice over the loud speaker made them all jump and Owin’s blood went cold.

“Well, well,” the smooth voice spoke in a cheery tone. “You not only followed orders, you brought them all back alive. You father would be so proud.” Owin frowned, unable to stop the shaking. Was there a malfunction in her limbs? She’d never felt fear like this before. Was it because she betrayed them again? “And here, your father insisted you were such a failure. I am pleased you corrected that little streak of rebellion.”

“She’s with us, you bastard!” Prompto found himself yelling at the empty air in anger.

“Oh, Prompto I missed you! We had such a lovely time together in our last meeting,” Ardyn sighed. “Alas, I thought as much, 01,” he emphasized the numbers. “Your father was right, it seems. You are trying so hard to be human but you are fooling no one. You were made in lab, picked apart, put back together all to make you better than you were. A shame no real improvement was made.” Owin was leaning against the wall, her arms pulled tight around her, her whole body shaking now. Prompto rushed to her side, wrapping his arm around her.

“Don’t you dare listen to him, Owin,” Ignis spoke while Prompto ran his hands up and down her arms, trying to calm her. “He attempts this with everyone. He will do everything he can to tear you down for his own enjoyment.”

“It’s all a lie,” Prompto added. “It’s all he’s good at. Lying.”

“Well, I suppose I am not wanted here,” Ardyn replied with a hurt tone. “You best get out quick before your trapped in here.” The lights flickered making them all uneasy.

“We need to move now,” Gladio ordered and Prompto managed to peel Owin away from the wall. They were running, Aranea glued to Ignis, making sure he kept his footing. There was a brief air of relief among them when they reached the lobby with no obstacles. Until Ardyn’s voice popped onto the overhead speaker once more.

“Oops,” was all he said and the lights went red accompanied with a loud alarm.

“What the hell?” Gladio growled.

“It’s a lock down,” Owin answered and uncurled, taking a more determined stance. “I can shut it down and unlock the doors from the control room down the hall.”

Daemons screeched and charged through a door to their right and they all let out a collective, tired sigh. “If we hold back the daemons, can you shut it down?” Aranea asked, swinging the lance to take out the first of the charge.

“I can,” she replied.

“No, let me go with you!” Prompto demanded but was held back by Ignis.

“Stay here. They need your help, Prompto.”

“But what if it’s a trap?”

“We don’t have another choice. I’ll unlock the doors and meet you back here in ten minutes,” her voice was as reassuring as she could make it and Prompto finally nodded.

“Ten minutes,” he confirmed and she disappeared. It was closer to fifteen before the alarms shut off and the doors clicked open. The daemons were cleared out but there was no sign of Owin. Prompto shook his head, fearing the worst and charged down the hall after her.

“Prompto!” Gladio called out after him and cursed.

“We’re not leaving her behind!” he called back so the others followed.

 

Owin made it to the control room, only finding a couple of smaller daemons waiting for her which was a relief. She rushed for the control finding the jack she could plug into the back of her head to access the building lockdown. The voice behind her froze her in place.

“You made it,” Ardyn said in the same cheery voice. “I am thrilled. I knew you would inevitably become attached to the boys. They are quite charming. Regardless you brought them back which was all I needed from you. They have an important mission, you see. I couldn’t have them off in another world.” Ardyn took a couple steps forward but she managed to hold her ground, daggers ready. “You look so much like him. Prompto and Verstael. What an adorable little family. A shame you are such a useless machine.”

She glared at him as he took one step closer and shoved both daggers into his gut. “I am human. I will do everything in my power to protect Prompto. He is my family now.”

Ardyn grinned, black ink falling from his eyes and mouth. Owin stared in horror. “What a sweet sentiment, Owin. You have my word, they will escape this place safely. You, on the other hand, have served your purpose.” Ardyn pulled one of the daggers out of him, seizing Owin before she could move and shoving it into her. “You may keep this. I parting gift, from me to you.” And just as quickly he was gone. Owin dropped to her knees holding the hilt with a shaking hand. There was already blood everywhere, she could taste it, feel it, see it everywhere. The pain was intense but she tried to move. She had to move. The doors. If she didn’t unlock the doors they’d be overrun and killed. Owin couldn’t move her legs but managed to pull herself back to the controls, reaching up with a bloody hand, finding the cable. She pushed it into the back of her neck and concentrated with what function she had left. The alarms went quiet and the lights returned to normal. Owin leaned back against the control panel, holding the wound around the dagger and focusing on breathing. She’d already lost all functions in her legs and arm. Her eyes were starting to dim and all residual power was rerouted to her brain. Everything started to slow and she was getting tired but held on. They’d come for her. She just wanted to see Prompto one last time.

“Owin!” It was a wish come true when she heard his voice in the doorway. “No, no, no!” He was at her side in an instant, his blond hair, blue eyes, freckles and tears all coming into view at once. She managed a smile.

“Got the door open.”

“Y-Yeah, you did!” he staggered through a cheery voice he did his best to fake. He glanced back at Ignis, Gladio and Aranea hoping for something. Gladio shook his head once, a quick subtle movement and Prompto lost control.

“Hey,” Owin pulled his attention back, realizing it was getting harder to focus. “Y-You’ll be okay. You’ve got a family.”

“But…” he choked on his words and Owin held her smile.

“I’m glad he woke me up. It gave me… a chance to find a new family. Even briefly. I… I was… so happy to meet you… little brother.”

Owin went still and Prompto broke. He had her in his arm, squeezing her, praying she’d somehow come back. The three let him have a moment but danger was still lurking and eventually Ignis moved from Aranea’s hold and found Prompto. He knelt next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder and giving him a gentle squeeze.

“Prom, we have to go,” Ignis’ voice was strained and Prompto nodded slowly, lowering Owin back to her seated position.

“W-We can’t leave her,” Prompto sobbed.

Ignis sighed quietly but Gladio answered for him. “I’m sorry, Prom. We don’t have a choice.”

“Come on, we don’t want to stay and let this all be in vain,” Ignis took Prompto’s hand and pulled him back to his feet, wrapping an arm firmly around his shoulders. Prompto stared behind them until she was out of view but couldn’t bring himself to stop sobbing for most of their trip back to Hammerhead.

Cindy was furious that they’d been out of contact with her but quickly changed her tune when she saw what a wreck everyone, especially Prompto was. They wouldn’t leave Prompto on his own for that long again. They were certain. They’d stay in touch, talk and wait until their king returned and never forget the sacrifices made to get there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did it! Almost every day of the month and it was fast and messy but so fun... wait I'm still talking about writing I swear. Thanks for reading this sloppy mess but I hope it was a little bit enjoyable!


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